To the Moon and Back
by SonChihan
Summary: After being tricked and robbed of his favorite collectible, Tamatoa finds himself stranded on his back outside his cave. Suddenly, he is simultaneously rescued and recruited by another demigod to find a lost treasure. What follows is a whirlwind adventure that will reveal who and what Tamatoa really is, something even he didn't know. Character design credit to risaXrisa.
1. Chapter 1

I am complete and total garbage. I know it; I know it very well. I don't care, I'll own it. I'll do what I want.

To the Moon and Back

Chapter 1

The moon was high and full, casting a bluish glow through the ocean into the depths of Lalotai. On the smooth, cold rock outside his cave, Tamatoa was still on his back, gazing up into the water column above. He'd been there for almost three days. He was hungry, tired, and angry. He was also feeling quite...depressed. Two days of struggling, and wriggling, and rocking back and forth, and complaining—lots and lots of complaining—and he still hadn't righted himself. Tamatoa was beginning to believe that this was how he was going to die. He couldn't pick himself up, and absolutely no one had come to aid him, despite his incessant whining. He let his head fall back, eye stalks plunking against the ground. What a pathetic way to die: belly up and helpless. His treasure-covered back wasn't even visible. How could he die without being seen from a mile away? He was too shiny to die without being seen. Too...shiny...Tamatoa started to snore.

All of the sudden, something snagged itself around his claw. Tamatoa had a second to stare at whatever it was before being roughly yanked up and forward. With a confused yell, he was hauled off of his shell and back to his feet. He coughed, and shook his big head, sputtering slightly. He lifted his claw just in time to see a thick braid of jet-black hair uncoil itself from around the first joint, and fall with a thump on the ground. Tamatoa ratcheted his gaze to the braid, and followed it as it was slowly dragged away. The hair slid back until it met a pair of small, dainty hands. Tamatoa halted as a figure he'd been unaware was there stepped out of the shadows. From here, it looked like an ordinary human woman, wearing a blue patterned bark cloth skirt and a shell-white top. But as he continued to examine her, he saw the wave tattoos on her shoulders, the ones on her forehead with the phases of the moon. Plus, she was reeling in a braid that fell down her back to the ground, where it continued into the massive length that had pulled Tamatoa to his feet. The end of the braid coiled around to make a hibiscus-laced headband. Once she had her braid gathered in a bundle in her arms, the woman suddenly dropped it. The braid somehow shrank to half its length as it fell, until it dangled in a small semicircle at her feet. The woman picked up the flower-decked end and placed it on her head, leaving the folded braid to hang in a U behind her knees. With her headband secure, the woman finally looked up at Tamatoa. He caught his breath, and he suddenly withdrew his narrowed eyes. This woman had the most startling, bright green eyes he'd ever seen on a human—and he hadn't seen many humans. Coupled with the phases of the moon tattooed on her brow, there could be no mistaking who this was. This was no human at all.

"H...Hina!" Tamatoa gasped. He scuttled backwards a few paces, involuntarily snapping his claws. The woman smiled and put her hands on her hips. She seemed to be waiting; for what, he couldn't even guess. How could he have thought this was a human? No human had the strength to move him, much less haul him off his back with nothing but her hair. No human's hair could grow and shrink at will. No human that he knew of had eyes like that.

If Maui was the most powerful demigod known, then Hina was the most powerful demigoddess. Legends said that she could control the moon itself, see whatever the moon sees, and go wherever the moon looks down. It was also said that it was her hair that braided the fishing line Maui used to pull islands from the sea with his fishhook. She was just as fierce a warrior as he was, and her mind was twice as sharp.

Hina continued to smile brightly up at Tamatoa, saying nothing. Tamatoa swallowed hard, but his panic finally began to subside. She wasn't making any kind of aggressive moves towards him, and she had just pulled him up off of the ground. Slowly, Tamatoa crept back to stand before her, his eyes drawn back in caution.

"Er...Hina," he said, and nearly blushed at how shaky his voice was. He had just been bested by a tiny little human girl, not the obnoxious demigod with her. Yet, the last time Tamatoa tussled with that demigod, he'd lost the end of one of his legs. And, he knew Hina's reputation. Whatever she wanted, he didn't want to end up upside-down again. Or worse.

Tamatoa cleared his throat. "Hina, um, thanks for the lift." He even gave her a tiny bow, his maimed leg sticking out at a high angle. "Might...I mean, _may_ I ask, why you're here? What business do you have in the Realm of Monsters?" Hina laughed softly, and tilted her head.

"First thing's first, Tamatoa," she said, her smile twisting wryly. "I would like to know why you were upside down? And just a few yards from your cave?" Tamatoa instantly scowled, despite his nervousness.

"Oh nothing, just had a run in with that thick-headed, ink-bedecked, chunky-hunky brother of yours!" he snapped. He crossed his front limbs and pouted, diverting his gaze away from the demigoddess. "He came to get his precious fishhook, and he used a squirmy little human girl to distract me for it. Lousy, low-life, no good..." He trailed off, muttering to himself. Though it was no secret that Maui and Hina hadn't actually been in confidence with each other for quite a few centuries, he didn't feel confident that she couldn't strangle him if he spoke too sharp-tongued about her half brother. Hina shook her head, still grinning.

"Of course. I was wondering where his hook had gone. Figures you would be the one to pick it up, eh?" She gave him a wink. Tamatoa pinched his mouth up at the remark. He decided if she was going to be round about and laugh at him, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of his full attention. If she started getting aggressive, at least he could be assured he was faster than she was. He turned around and started to pick up the many treasures that had fallen from his shell after he was knocked over. He daintily gathered each sparkly trinket up one by one and plopped them back onto their rightful place, sniffing disdainfully each time he had to brush any grime off of something. He kept one eye trained behind him on Hina.

"So, Your Moon-ness," he drawled, blowing dust off of a jewel-encrusted goblet, "I answered your question, now how about mine? Why are you here in Lalotai?"

Hina sighed and looked at her nails.

"Funny we should be talking about Maui and his hook," she said lazily. "I actually am also looking for an artifact." She glanced up just as Tamatoa swung his other eye around to lock gazes with her. He blinked, then turned both eyes back to his treasure recovery before she noticed his pupils expand. Anything of value to a demigod certainly had value to an avid collector such as himself.

"Really?" he asked, keeping his tone uninterested. He picked up a diamond and examined it casually, turning it a few more times than necessary. "What kind of artifact might that be?"

" _My_ artifact." Hina replied. "My magic necklace. Surely you've heard of it? The gods gifted it to me just as they gifted Maui his hook." Tamatoa's blood pump skipped for a moment. So, the great Hina had lost her legendary necklace? Perhaps she wasn't much more intelligent than her muscle bound counterpart.

"I hear many things when godly items are involved," he said casually. He swiveled an eye around again. "For instance, I've heard none of your moon-related abilities work without the necklace. You can't shape-shift without it either. The moon will wander its own path for the first time in centuries. Essentially," he said slowly, flicking a gold coin onto his shell, "you're powerless." He turned his other eye around. "Except for your hair and strength, that is." He watched her carefully, waiting to see how she would react. Hina regarded him coolly, her arms crossed over her chest. She raised an eyebrow. Evidently, she was studying him as closely as he was studying her. "And to think, you lost it as well?" He _tsked,_ shaking his head. "Sounds like you demigods need to take better care of your things." Hina pressed her mouth into a thin line. Her lack of rebuttal told him though he'd hit the mark, she was too desperate to kill him for such a slight. Lucky him.

"Yes, well, I've been looking for it for some time, and I finally found out that it ended up down here, in Lalotai," said Hina. She looked off into the distance, then turned her gaze to him from the corner of her eye. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with this realm; haven't made the time to visit often enough," she said. "I figured it would behoove me to find a guide...And you, the great collector, are known to have an eye for valuable objects." Tamatoa grinned, glad he was turned away from the demigod. He didn't reply right away; rather, he picked up the rest of his treasures, then made a show of scouring the ground for anything he might have missed. Better to keep her waiting, just to be sure she wouldn't want to risk losing his services.

"It could be said that I have a certain...talent, when it comes to finding pretty things," he said, still not putting any investment into his tone. He could be hitting a goldmine here.

"And you know this realm well?" asked Hina. Tamatoa finally turned around and snapped at the air with a claw, smirking.

"Like the back of my claw, babe," he said. Hina raised both eyebrows. It took everything he had not to cackle with glee. He couldn't believe he was in a position to talk this way to the demigod of the moon! After the incident with Maui and his little human, it was a lovely boost to his ego. He leveled his eyes down to give her an underhanded gaze. "I could help you find your necklace, Lady Moon. Any reason why I _should_ help you find it?" Tamatoa gave her a wide, barnacle-encrusted grin. Hina tapped her fingers on her arm, her nostrils flaring. He could almost feel her fighting to control her temper. A tiny voice in the back of his head told him to quit with the attitude, but the rest of his mind was shouting at him to not listen. This was too much fun. "After all," he said, shrugging, "I've had a very trying couple of days. I'm pretty sure I'd be better off going home, eating a gigantic meal and taking a long nap." He even took a moment to yawn for effect. He smirked again when Hina raised her eyes upward and tapped her foot. "I could be persuaded to help you with this endeavor," he said, drawing his words out, "if I were given some...incentive. Tell me, darling, what is your necklace worth?"

Hina gazed up at the giant, gold-bedecked coconut crab. She had to be careful with how she negotiated things here. Making a deal with the likes of Tamatoa could wind up biting her later on. It might be easier to just beat him into cooperation, but she just didn't feel like putting in the effort. Unlike her half brother, Hina preferred not to make enemies left and right. This kind of interaction required finesse. She shrugged and pretended to wave off his words.

"Well, if my leads are correct, my necklace won't be the only item of value we'll be happening upon," she said. She gave her braid a toss. "If I'm right, my necklace will be kept with a whole hoard of treasure, possibly one to rival your own." She nodded at his shell. "You help me, and you can have your pick of whatever is left. The whole thing, if you want." Though she didn't look directly at him as she said it, Hina watched Tamatoa's reaction closely.

Tamatoa's mouth practically watered at Hina's proposal. He had no idea there was another treasure hoard in Lalotai. He was sure he was the only one down there that collected things, and he mostly got his from trips to the ocean, plus anything that fell into this realm. The thought that someone else had managed to store more treasure, treasure that he didn't find, made him positively giddy.

 _It might even be more than I can carry. I'll have to make trips, or maybe just pile it all on my shell; like a sparkly mountain! I'll be so shiny_! He nearly shuddered in excitement. Maybe he could even get away with Hina's necklace, if he was quick enough. There was a void in his collection left by Maui's fishhook; this was his chance to fill it. Tamatoa cleared his throat and clacked his claws.

"Sounds promising; intriguing, even. Alright then." He leaned down and extended his claw, his mouth curving in a wry smile. "You've got a deal, babe." Hina halfway smiled, and reached up to grasp the very tip of his claw. She internally cringed at the greed glittering unabashedly in the crab's eyes.

"Perfect. Shall we?"

Tamatoa crept to the edge of a cliff before halting. He scanned the valley below for any danger, knowing full well the larger monsters preferred to roam in the open. Hina sat on his shell behind his head, legs folded to her chest, arms curled around her knees. She calmly surveyed the dark realm around her, not bothered at all by the constant roars, snarls, and hissing echoing in the stale air. She certainly had no reason to truly fear anything down here; she could take the largest of monsters even without her necklace. She was more annoyed at having to make the trip to Lalotai in the first place. It shouldn't have taken her so long to figure out that her necklace was down here; that should have been a given. However, she'd journeyed here so rarely that she had no hope of finding where the necklace was hidden, even if she knew what the place was. She was loath to ask help from anyone, especially a bottom feeder like Tamatoa. Hina knew full well that he would try to take her necklace for himself if he saw an opportunity. All the greedy crab thought about was growing his collection of treasure. It was no secret he had held Maui's fishhook in his possession for a millennium. No doubt now that her half-brother had taken his artifact back, Tamatoa would be itching for his chance to possess another one. Hina had to be careful. Tamatoa knew every square inch of Lalotai; that knowledge was invaluable to her. She had to hope the abundant spoils waiting in the cave holding her necklace would be enough to distract the great collector.

As he picked his way down the ravine to Lalotai's great valley, Tamatoa fixed one eye on his immortal passenger. Hina steadily met his gaze.

"So tell me, Madame Lune, how did you lose this precious artifact of yours?" he asked lightly. Hina could hear the covetous edge to his voice. She looked off to the side, as if his question was no matter to her.

"Do you remember Te Tunaroa?" she asked. Tamatoa scowled, and made a distasteful noise

"The eel god? Didn't Maui kill him to make coconuts?" Hina chuckled. So Tamatoa wasn't a total hermit.

"Yeah." She sighed. "He keeps coming back. He's got this strange fascination with me." She suppressed a shudder, not wanting Tamatoa to sense any weakness. It was hard not to get chills when thinking about the father of eels. "Well, a little while back, I was bathing in my favorite pool, and he decided to pop in for a visit...again." She grimaced. "I told him to leave me alone, and even threatened him, but he said he just was wondering if I was interested in a...wager."

Tamatoa watched Hina's cheeks darken, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew exactly where this story was going. Everyone knew Hina had a weakness for wagers; no doubt that was how she had lost her necklace. The twisted part of him was eager to hear the confession of such a mistake from her own mouth. Anything to have a leg up on a demigod.

"What kind of wager?" he asked innocently. Hina still didn't look at him.

"He bet that I couldn't beat him in a swimming race around the island's lagoon. I wasn't allowed to shape-shift. If he won, I'd have to..." Hina blew out a harsh breath. She couldn't believe her embarrassment was coming out so strongly in front of Tamatoa. It wasn't as if she cared what he thought; maybe it was just because of how intensely he was staring at her. Dumb crab. Hina cleared her throat. "If he won, I'd have to agree to be his wife—typical for him to bet that—and if I won, he'd leave me alone for ever." Tamatoa whistled.

"Those are some pretty high stakes babe," he said. "But I guess if you could get rid of him forever, I guess I see why you'd take the risk." Hina didn't miss the judgment in his voice.

"Anyway, I was sure I could still beat him, so I foolishly said yes. At that point, after he'd tried so many times, I'd do anything to keep him away." She gasped softly, and blushed even deeper. That last part wasn't supposed to come out of her mouth. The stupid crab was drawing the truth right out of her. Why was that? "So we started at one end of the lagoon and swam to the other. I lost sight of him soon after, so I was sure I had overtaken him easily. When I returned to the pool, triumphant that I had won, Te Tunaroa was gone...and so was my necklace."

Hina gritted her teeth, the anger from that afternoon flaring as if the theft had just happened.

"That slimy little worm stole my necklace, after I was foolish enough to leave it on the shore. Then, he slipped away like a dirty coward. It was all a trick, no doubt, just to weaken me. I have no idea what he's planning, but I doubt he took it just to mess with me. I have to find it, before he gets any more ideas." Again, the last part wasn't necessarily something she had wanted to say out loud, but at this point she was positively fuming. She didn't care what the crab heard; talking about it helped her focus her rage. As soon as she had her necklace back, she was going to teach Te Tunaroa a hard lesson. Maybe if she cut off his head and buried it, it might sprout some other kind of useful plant.

Tamatoa carefully picked his way through the skeleton of some great, unknown beast. He realized just then he didn't actually know where he was supposed to be going. Hina sounded like she knew the place where her necklace was being kept, but she'd neglected to actually say where that was.

 _Well then, why am I still moving?_ Tamatoa stopped dead. It must have been abrupt because he heard the tinkling of shifting treasure, followed by a small grunt.

"Something wrong?" Hina asked. Tamatoa craned his head around to look at her, mouth pursed.

"While it was very enlightening to hear how you lost your necklace, m'lady," he said tersely. Hina shrugged and interrupted,

"Hey, you asked." Tamatoa thinned his mouth and continued.

"I'm afraid you neglected to tell me where exactly this mysterious treasure hoard is. I'm pretty sure I've just been moving forward, no purpose or anything. Care to tell me what place I might be looking for, so I may look for it?" To add emphasis, he leaned his eyes in close enough to almost touch Hina's face. She leaned back. A small, amused smile curved her lips. Tamatoa had the sneaking suspicion that she'd purposefully left their destination out just to mess with him.

"Pardon me, I guess I should have been more forward," Hina said. "Although I'd hoped you would figure it out after hearing my story just now. Sorry to make you think while you walk." Tamatoa growled, showing his teeth. Hina didn't flinch. "It turns out, Te Tunaroa is quite the collector of valuables himself. My leads told me the most likely place for him to store my necklace would be a cave he uses down here. I guess he often visits it, either to store a find or to just relax in his wealth." Tamatoa gasped, eyes widening.

"Te Tunaroa's cave? He stores treasure in _there_?" The blatant shock on his face made Hina's smile widen.

"I take it you've heard of it?" she asked. Tamatoa let out a harsh laugh.

"Heard of it? I've seen it. Tunaroa used to visit Lalotai all the time. Every time he showed up, silence would fall. Every monster ran for cover. He's the only god that has ever deigned to grace this dark world with his eely presence. And, he always made a course for the same cave. I thought it was just a favorite napping spot, or maybe some place where he brought helpless maidens." Hina's brow creased in a slight scowl. Tamatoa snorted; despite her tough demeanor, Hina was obviously more sensitive then she let on. He made mental note to exploit that fact later. But, right now he was slightly distracted by a different source of new information. "I never imagined Tunaroa was taking treasure to that cave. I could kick myself for not checking it out sooner." He suddenly frowned. "That guy always gave me the heebie-jeebies; all slithery...slimy...big teeth..." Tamatoa heard Hina giggle, and he whipped around to snarl at her. "What's so funny?" She casually propped her chin on her hand, giving him a cool smile.

"Oh, nothing. I guess anyone would be afraid of a god, even a gigantic, hard-shelled monstrosity such as yourself," she simpered. Tamatoa narrowed his eyes, then suddenly spun around to face the other way. Hina was roughly flung to her side by the momentum. Tamatoa smirked when he heard her grunt in pain.

"Sorry about that babe," he said cheerfully. He heard her mutter something under her breath, but didn't catch it. "So, if it's Te Tunaroa's little hideaway we need, then we'll have to head in the other direction." He scanned the valley for the right landmark, then let out an "ah-ha!" when he spotted a narrow ravine right across the way, and scuttled forward.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was almost two hours before Tamatoa finally found a spot wide enough for him to squeeze into the ravine. He cautiously crept down to the ground, testing the walls of the ravine for any loose stones. Hina had to brace her feet on his shell to keep from slipping off as he tipped deeply forward. With a grunt, Tamatoa inched the final way into the ravine, and landed on the ground with a thud. He shook himself, clacking his claws.

"Alright, now. The cave should be right through there." He pointed towards the end of the ravine, where the narrow space finally gave way to a wide hollow. Hina peered ahead. She could barely make out a ragged hole carved into the rock beyond the ravine. Tamatoa edged towards the opening, growling with frustration as his shell scraped against the sides of the ravine. He cursed softly when a golden sword was jostled off of the pile, and took a moment to pick it up. Hina moved over so he wouldn't stab her by accident. She scowled at his head.

"You know you'll probably have more treasure than you can carry after this," she said tersely. "I don't think it will be much of a loss if you drop a few things here." Tamatoa laughed so hard he nearly shook her off.

"You underestimate my values, darling," he said. He whipped an eye around and winked at her. Hina rolled her eyes, and Tamatoa chuckled as he finally reached the end of the ravine.

Tamatoa frowned as he regarded the gap separating him from Te Tunaroa's cave. It was very narrow for a creature his size. He realized he might have turn completely sideways if he was going to fit. Either that, or he would have to climb out of the ravine again only to jump into the hollow. Figuring the latter would be more likely to jostle too much of his treasure, Tamatoa decided to go with sideways. He hitched a leg up on the side of the ravine while fixing his claw against the ground.

Hina noticed she was starting to tilt, and creased her brow. She reached over and tapped Tamatoa on the back of the head. Tamatoa whipped his eyes around.

"What?" he asked. His voice was a little strained as he continued to turn himself sideways. Hina pointed to the gap.

"You said the cave is through there?" she asked. Tamatoa sniffed and turned his eyes back around.

"Why do you think I'm rearranging my orientation?" Hina pursed her lips and eyed the gap. It was barely big enough to fit Tamatoa, let alone her on him with his treasure. He was definitely going to lose some gold. Perhaps this was her chance to find her necklace without giving the crab the opportunity to snatch it. Hina crawled over to the edge of Tamatoa's shell and crouched. She fixed her eyes on the gap and tensed her legs. She rocked back and forth as Tamatoa stuck his head into the gap. When he finally shoved himself into the gap, Hina launched herself off of the gold-encrusted shell. She flew through the graph like she was diving from a cliff, limbs straight and body held tight. Then, she flipped at the arc of her jump and landed lightly on the balls of her feet. She couldn't help but smile at the sound of Tamatoa's legs scrabbling against the ground and rock walls, and turned around. Tamatoa was stuck halfway through the gap, nearly suspended off of the ground.

Tamatoa clenched his teeth and tried to shake himself loose from the ravine's opening. The walls were immobile, and the pile of treasure on his back had increased his depth by an amount he hadn't considered. It might have been a better idea to climb out and jump into the hollow, until he saw Hina standing feet from the cave mouth in front of him. She smiled up at him and sent him a little wave.

"Thanks for the lift. I'll just be in here if you eventually get yourself unstuck," she sang. She gave him a tiny wink, then spun around and sauntered into the cave. Tamatoa's insides boiled. That snarky little tart! He was supposed to be doing the double-crossing, not her! He had to get out of the crack before Hina had a chance to get away with her artifact. For all he knew, she could have been planning to take some of Te Tunaroa's treasure for herself. The thought of being bested by a demigod _again_ sent him into a rage. Snarling, Tamatoa braced his claws against the sides of the gap and gave an almighty shove. With a loud, grinding crunch, he managed to wrench himself out of the ravine's opening. He landed with a heavy thud and smacked his face on the ground. His landing was accompanied with a raining jingle of treasure dropping from his shell. Tamatoa shook himself, trying to clear his head. When his eyes finally uncrossed, he caught sight of the cave's mouth. Hina was nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to give her chance to get away, Tamatoa hauled himself to his feet. A glittering caught his eye, and he looked down. Nearly half of his treasure was scattered on the ground, both in and out of the ravine. A hard twinge snapped in his mind. He halted his progress towards the cave, eyes locked on his spilled gold. A tinkle sounded in from within the cave, and glanced towards it before coming back to his own mess. A thought formed in his mind. He had to pick up his treasure. He had to. But, he had to get into the cave, to get the necklace...and whatever treasure was in there. But, he had to pick up his own treasure. He had to get it all...Or just one...One thing. It was all the same. But, it wasn't the same. He had to get it all. He had to find...Tamatoa growled loudly and shoved a claw between his eyes, pinching his rostrum hard.

 _Snap out of it, idiot,_ he internally yelled. This always happened whenever he dropped _anything._ Any time he dropped something, he immediately fixated on it, obsessing and panicking for an extended period of time unless he managed to pick it up right away. This time, he had a bunch of spilled treasure, and a cave full of treasure just steps away. His compulsion was cropping up right when he needed it the least. He pinched harder and berated himself. _Come on, get over it! You'll have plenty more in just a moment, and you can pick it up later if you have to. Pull yourself together_! He gnashed her teeth together and let out one final snarl, then scuttled as quickly as he could into the cave.

Hina stared at the enormous piles of treasure lining the walls of the cave. It was so full that she barely had enough room on the floor to stand. It formed a glittering amphitheater around the back of the cave, opening only enough to keep the mouth unblocked. Hina could never have imagined Te Tunaroa was such a hoarder of surface riches. Indeed, she would never have known there was so much treasure under the sea. This coffer made Tamatoa's collection look paltry. Of course, the more she looked at it, the more she looked at it, the more this behavior made sense. Te Tunaroa was prideful, vain, and greedy. His desirous behavior with her had been evident of that. She supposed this kind of collection of treasure would have been a given. But it wasn't the piles of gold, jewels, other valuable artifacts that drew real attention from Hina. After a quick glance around, she spotted her objective in a near instant.

Hina sighed in satisfaction when her eyes settled on the wall directly opposite the mouth of the cave. There, on a plinth carved into the rock, sat her necklace. She smiled, a warm, glowing feeling spreading through her chest at the sight of her beloved artifact. It was almost a motherly feeling, like she had found a child that was lost for too long. Soon she would be whole again, and she could plan how to exact her revenge of that insufferable eel god. Before she could take a step towards it though, a roar sounded outside of the cave. Hina turned around and jumped back just in time as Tamatoa came barreling into the cave. He was snarling and baring his teeth, his eyes burning with rage. There was a startling enhancement to the usual manic spark in his eyes, as though he was on the edge of a full blown mental breakdown. Hina's breath hitched; could Tamatoa be losing it? She wasn't prepared for a fight with him now, even if the cramped space gave her the advantage. In a panic, she stepped back so quickly that she stumbled into a pile of coins.

The tinkling of gold seemed to snap Tamatoa out of his rage. The manic light dulled in his eyes, and the tension left his body. The crab shook himself, coughed, and swallowed. Then he opened his eyes and his jaw fell open as he finally took in the sight of the piles and piles of treasure surrounding him. Though the cave was not quite as large as his, its ceiling was still tall enough for his head to clear. The treasure itself was piled so high that it nearly touched the ceiling. Judging by the way his eyes were darting around and his breathing rapidly picking up, Tamatoa was probably salivating at the sight of so much booty. His psychotic break seemed to be subsiding. Hina took a couple deep breaths to steady her nerves. She reminded herself she wouldn't have to worry about him once she simply grabbed her necklace. Hina pivoted and began to climb the pile of gold sitting below the necklace. Unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere near high enough on the pile before she heard an intrigued intake of breath behind her. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists. So close.

"So that's the legendary necklace of Hina," Tamatoa said with a grin. He licked his teeth and laughed under his breath. He was so relieved to be snapped out of his fit. The treasure that had been waiting for him was even more spectacular than he had imagined. He didn't even care about the stuff he had spilled outside at this time. And now, he was standing right in front of another demigod artifact. It wasn't as impressive as he'd envisioned; it was a simple strip of loose leather decorated with small puka shells. It certainly a lot less fancy and godly in appearance than Maui's fishhook. But based on the way Hina had raced for it, this was the genuine article. Below him, Hina half turned around and stared at him from the corner of her eye. He smirked, but not quite in triumph. He wasn't blind to her intentions, and by the look she was giving him, he had forced her into a stalemate. Now, the question was: who would make the first move?

Hina watched Tamatoa from the corner of her eye. He watched her just as closely, keeping a wide smirk on his face. He was waiting to see what she would do. She had to act fast if she wanted to keep her necklace from him. The problem was that he was pretty much eye-height with the plinth. He could just reach out and grab it. Then, out of nowhere, a thought occurred to her. The necklace was very...out in the open. It was on display for all to see. Te Tunaroa was definitely vain, but if she was right, he wouldn't have just left it out their for anyone to easily take. Unless...he wanted her to take it. She'd been sure he'd taken it to mess with her in the first place, not just because he wanted it for himself. He wouldn't just leave it out in the open unless it was meant to taunt her into taking it. Yes, it was obviously a trap. The issue was, she couldn't even imagine what kind of trap it could have been. She had no means to find out. Hina breathed in deeply. Well, there was one way to find out.

Tamatoa didn't blink as he watched Hina. He wondered what was going on in her head; no doubt she was likely trying to think of a way to get her necklace back without him interfering. He kept from widening his smile. There was no way for her to pull this off; he nearly filled the entire cave. She didn't have a lot of options. Tamatoa finally blinked when Hina turned around fully. To his utter befuddlement, she fixed him with a wide, bright smile. It was so striking Tamatoa drew his eyes back slightly, a little put off.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, failing to put any menace into his voice. Hina tucked her arms behind her back and stepped down the gold pile and onto the cave floor.

"Um, I'm embarrassed to say I can't reach the necklace," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Would you be a dear and reach up to grab me?" Tamatoa blinked, then narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean you can't get it? Can't you just toss your hair up and snatch it?" Hina giggled a little too loudly, putting her hand over her mouth.

"It's too hard to grab a target that small, and I have no room," she said. She gave a little shrug and a regretful sigh, raising her hands. "I'm afraid my hands are tied. I need your help, unfortunately." Tamatoa scowled at the dejected tone she put into her voice. But, he couldn't help but lift his gaze back to the necklace. It was just sitting there, right in the opening. Te Tunaroa obviously didn't care as much about his possessions as he should have been. The thought made Tamatoa smirk deeper; the eel god's negligence would be his gain. He would get the upper hand on a demigoddess and a god! This revelation was plenty enough motivation for Tamatoa to forget any doubt in his mind.

"Well, if you say so babe," he chuckled. Grinning, he stretched his claw out to take the necklace.

Hina followed Tamatoa's claw as it drifted towards her artifact. Her heart pounded so hard that the rhythm sounded in her ears. She was taking an enormous risk in letting Tamatoa test her guess about the necklace. If she was wrong, she would lose the source of her power yet again. However, if she was right, Tamatoa would activate and take the brunt of whatever trap Te Tunaroa had laid for her. With any luck, it would distract him long enough for her to get away and not have to bother with him again. Everything she _was_ rode on this gamble. Hina held her breath as Tamatoa's claw finally clasped onto her necklace.

An earsplitting bang exploded out of nowhere, accompanied by a flash of blinding yellow light. Hina shouted and wrenched her arms up to shield her eyes. The cave shook and the air seemed to boil in front of her. A shaking, bubbly voice moaned in her ears. But then, though the effects lasted minutes, it suddenly stopped. It just...stopped. Hina gasped and slowly lowered her arms, blinking rapidly. When she'd gotten a few moments for her eyes adjust, Hina's mouth fell open as she observed the lack of giant purple, gold-covered coconut crab. Tamatoa had disappeared completely. Judging by the newly added pile of treasure lying on the cave floor, his body had evaporated, leaving whatever wasn't a part of him behind. Hina cast her gaze around for her necklace. If the trap had simply been to destroy the first person who touched it, it was likely the spell had worked once and wouldn't do anything to her. She quickly caught sight of it lying in front of the new treasure pile. It seemed to be smoking. Hina knelt down and crept towards it, reaching a hand out to claim it. But she stopped, and looked up a the pile of treasure that had once sat on Tamatoa's shell. It was so strange that he was just...gone. His presence was so large and noticeable that its absence was almost physical. Hina bit her lip, finding herself hesitant. In his own way, Tamatoa had given up his life for hers. He hadn't known it at the time, and his reasons were purely selfish, but still. Hina couldn't help but feel guilty at tricking the great collector into dying on her behalf. Tamatoa had been many things, but she had never wished death on him. Hina curled her fingers into a fist. She almost felt like she didn't deserve to take back her necklace after what she had done. It felt undeserved, almost a crime.

That was, until she saw the pile of treasure shudder.

It was dark, and cold. It was also heavy, and everything hurt. He tried to open his eyes, but the heavy thing was blocking his vision. He tried to move, and though it was painful, the cold dark seemed to shift a bit. A small, round hole of light appeared above him. He reached towards it, and a deafening metallic crinkling sounded around him. He grabbed the light and pulled himself towards it.

Tamatoa groaned as he pulled himself out of the pile of treasure. Never, never in his life had anything felt so heavy, so cold. He wondered if somehow he'd dumped a whole extra bunch on his shell and had underestimated the weight. He pushed himself the final few inches, then gasped as he pitched forward and tumbled down the pile, head over heel. When he finally landed on his back, he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. Pain flared up and down his back, and he grit his teeth. With intense difficulty, he opened his eyes. Hina stood over him, her eyes wide in horror. She stared at him from up...above him? Wait, that couldn't be right. And yet, the longer he watched her, the clearer it became that Hina was standing above him. But, that wasn't possible. He was bigger than any demigod. Yet, there she was, standing over him, over _him._ She looked on the verge of tears. That was even more confusing. What in the world would have her looking at him with tears in her eyes. Thinking so hard suddenly brought a headache throbbing out of nowhere. Tamatoa grunted and raised his claw to pinch his rostrum again...and promptly poked himself in the eye with something long and soft. Also, his eye didn't move out of the way in response.

Tamatoa froze, blinking several times. He tried to move his left eye to look at what had poked him, but both eyes were stuck, immobile. Slowly, he pulled his right limb away from his face to examine his claw. Only, it wasn't a claw.

"What the...?" It was a hand, a broad, five-fingered, human hand. He turned it around and flexed the fingers. They responded perfectly, individually and in unison. Tamatoa's breath caught in his throat. He raised his other arm. It too, had a hand at the end of it. The arms were human too, smooth, muscular, soft. Trembling, he brought the hands to feel his face. It, too, was soft. His eyes were set in his head. He had a nose, lips, eyebrows. He stuck a finger in his mouth and felt his teeth. They were tiny and barnacle free. He felt a soft jaw, and when he reached back, he felt ears and thick hair. "Wha-?" Tamatoa quickly looked down, and grabbed at his body. His hands roved over a bare, vulnerable chest, completely devoid of any kind of shell. Panic crept up his new spine. Glancing frantically around, He caught sight of a round, polished bronze plate lying a foot away. He grabbed it and wrenched it out of a pile of coins. He held the shield in his shaking hands and lifted it to face height. What stared back wasn't his reflection. It couldn't be his; he'd seen his reflection too many times to doubt it. And yet, when he moved the hands that had replaced his claws to touch his face, they touched the face in the reflection. The face in the reflection, and therefore his, was undoubtedly human.

Tamatoa screamed. He threw the shield away and covered his face, shaking his head back and forth.

"Oh, _no_! Oh gods, no!" To his utter horror, tears pooled and started pouring from his static eyes. He gulped and gave into the despair taking over him. He sobbed so loudly his throat quickly started to sting. How could this happen? What kind of magic could do this? He was so small now, and soft; vulnerable. He was cold, and in pain, and, for perhaps the first time in his entire life, absolutely terrified. He wracked his brain and tried to remember what had just happened. He was so befuddled he'd forgotten the last few minutes. He heard a small gasp and looked up to see Hina, still staring at him from across the cave. Red crossed in front of his vision as his memory finally started to kick in. Hina had asked him to grab her necklace. No...she'd tricked him into grabbing it. She'd probably thought there would be a trap if someone took the necklace, so she'd sweet-talked him into tripping it for her! Tamatoa curled his hands into fists and ground his teeth together, rage boiling in his new blood.

"You...You did this," he growled. His voice shook as tears continued to pour down his face. "What did you do to me!? You sneaky witch! What have you done to ME!?" He tried to force himself to his feet, but he suddenly pitched forward and landed right on his face. Tamatoa cried out as pain exploded at his mouth. He slowly put a hand against the ground and pushed himself over onto his bare back. He quickly felt at his mouth, and his fingers came away red. He must have bitten his lip on impact. Tamatoa looked down to see why he had tripped, and gasped. His right leg ended in a regular, five-toed human foot. His left leg, however, cut off at the knee, leaving a rounded, scarred stump.

Any anger present left him immediately at the sight of his missing limb. He felt blood trickle down his chin. Tamatoa inhaled sharply, then broke down and began sobbing again. "Why? What have you done to me? Why did you do this to me?" To his humiliation, his voice sounded horribly weak and squeaky. All he wanted to do was die.

Hina watched Tamatoa sobbing on the ground, still horrified at what she was seeing. For a moment, she glanced down at the necklace, lying innocently at her feet. So, she'd been right all along; there had been a trap for the necklace. It was some kind of curse, it had to be. If it turned Tamatoa into a human, she couldn't imagine what it would have done to her. In fact, a curse this powerful probably didn't just wear off after one person touched it. A curse like this would need to be purposefully broken before it could be safe to wear the necklace. Te Tunaroa was a vindictive god indeed.

Hina tore a piece of her skirt and carefully wrapped it around her necklace. Even through the bark cloth, she could feel the heat of the curse humming from the leather. Once it was safely tied to her belt, Hina turned back to face Tamatoa. He was still lying on his back, crying loudly. Hina still couldn't believe what the curse had done to him. Judging by how he was behaving, he probably wished the curse had killed him. Hina slowly sunk to her knees, feeling strangely hollow. She put a finger to her cheek and was surprised to find it come away wet with tears. A tiny voice nudged the back of her mind as sorrow started to ease its way unbidden into her heart.

 _Could it be...?_ _Is it possible...?_ Hina tried to tell herself she was being silly for getting so emotional, and told the idea she was forming to go away. But, it kept pushing and pushing. Hina sighed, and pushed herself to her feet. She rubbed her eyes to clear her tears and gazed down at Tamatoa. He looked like a normal human, if a little on the broader side. She looked closer. His arms and legs were large and muscular, and his chest was study and wide. He had a tiny, tiny bit of a gut, and was a bit soft around the waist, but not too noticeably. His dark brown hair was thick and wavy, with a few streaks of golden yellow here and there. It fell just below his shoulders. Despite the fact that he had started the day as a giant coconut crab, a golden bark cloth kilt with a purple sash was wrapped around his waist, the hem hanging to his knees. It was trimmed with purple triangle patterns around the edge. Around his wrists were thick, yellow-died leather bands, and on his upper arm was another leather band, died purple and yellow. Surprisingly, a few tattoos decorated his skin, encircling his calf, right upper arm and his left shoulder. They were simple tribal designs used with yellow dye. Around his neck hung a purple and yellow pebble necklace. A single preserved crab claw dangled from the necklace.

Everything in his new form was so specific. It was just like...Hina shook her head, clearing her thoughts and giving the ideas over to coincidence. Steeling herself, Hina cleared her throat. Tamatoa hiccuped and slowly removed his hands from his face. As he looked up to meet her gaze, his brow went from bent upward in grief to slanted down in anger. Hina studied his face. His eyes were large and bright, still brimming with angry tears. They were the same bright blue that they'd been when he was a crab; apparently that was the only thing that was the same about him. His nose was longer and more narrow than most men's she knew, and his face, while strong, was a bit rounded in the cheeks and soft around the edges of the jaw. The small amount of jowl at his jawline was reminiscent of the paunch he'd carried as a crab. A small bit of facial hair marked the spot on his chin where barnacles used to be. As his mouth curled up in a snarl, she was surprised to see his teeth were straight and white. One, however, next to his left front tooth, was gold.

"What have you _done_ to me?" he demanded, his voice cracking slightly. At the venom in his voice, Hina hardened her heart as best she could.

"I didn't do anything to you," she snapped. She held up the bundle at her belt. "Tunaroa must have cursed the necklace." Tamatoa let out an enraged roar, slamming his fists into the ground beside him. He instantly flinched at the impact.

"Then you might has well have done this!" he said. "You tricked me into taking that necklace! You had to have known something would happen!" Hina glared at him, her cheeks warming profusely.

"Well, if you knew that, then why did you take it, hm? I may have tried to trick you, but you could have decided not to go along with it. Your own greed brought you to this end." Tamatoa howled and covered his face again.

"Just go away! You've ruined me! I don't want anything more to do with you, you moon witch." Hina sighed and put her hands on her hips. Since he wasn't looking at her, she felt safe enough to give him a pitying look.

"I can't leave you here. I have to break the curse on my necklace if I want to be whole again, so I might as well break the curse that's on you." Tamatoa didn't answer; he was too distraught and had shut her out. Hina groaned and gave him a nudge with her foot. "Come on, Tamatoa. I owe you for testing the curse out. I'm not leaving you here as you are." Tamatoa let out a harsh laugh.

"Oh, how generous of you!" he moaned, his voice muffled. Hina crouched down to give him a shake, but then a low rumble sounded from the back of the cave. Hina started and looked up at the cave ceiling. A large crack had opened up in the rock, spanning from the plinth in the back to the mouth of the cave. Cold dread fell into Hina's chest. It seemed the curse on the necklace wasn't the only trap they should have been watching for. The dread curled into anger in her stomach as she watched the crack grow. Evidently cursing her hadn't been enough for Tunaroa; perhaps he'd been hoping to capture her as well. Another rumbled took the cave, and Hina nearly lost her footing dodging a falling piece of the ceiling. It didn't seem like the cave's constitution was strong after all; if she didn't hurry they'd be buried alive within minutes.

Hina scrambled away from the wall and quickly grabbed Tamatoa's shoulder. She gave him a firm shake.

"Tamatoa, come on!" she hissed, wincing as the cave trembled once more. "The curse necklace was not the only thing cursed here! We need to move, before the cave collapses!" Tamatoa tried to push her hand off him, but he seemed to lack the strength. He turned his face away.

"Oh leave off," he growled. Hina groaned and crept around to his other side, actually facing him. She grabbed his arms and pried them away from his face, glaring down at him. He refused to meet his gaze. She gripped his arms tight enough for him to wince.

"We have to get out of here!" she snarled. "If we don't leave now, the cave will collapse and we'll be crushed!" Tamatoa finally whipped his head forward to meet her stare, pouring as much malice as he could muster into his eyes. Seeing them red and swollen from weeping nearly made Hina falter.

"Let it fall!" he cried. "Let this stupid cave crush us! At least I'll die knowing that I brought you down with me!" Hina flinched. Even in his despair, Tamatoa was able to put enough venom into his voice for his words to sting. But then a huge chunk of the wall broke away and crashed into a pile of treasure, scattering coins and jewels all over them Hina's resolve hardened. She certainly didn't intend to die like this, least of all in payment for tricking Tamatoa into getting himself cursed. Hina grunted and took her headband off. In response to If she wasn't going to persuade him to have a sense of self preservation, so be it. She'd just have to drag him out.

"Alright, sit up," Hina barked. Tamatoa ignored her, swallowing his misery. Hina made a frustrated growl, then seized his shoulder and wrenched him into a sitting position. The manhandling might have roused a temper, but Tamatoa couldn't find it in him to do so. He just slumped over, letting his tears cloud his vision. The rumbling of the cave collapsing fell deaf on his ears. He welcomed it. Let him be buried under rock and mud. This body wasn't worth being seen.

"What are you doing?" he asked, not that he actually cared. Hina ignored him and proceeded to wrap her braid around him, pinning his right arm to his side and tucking it under his other arm around his shoulder. Tamatoa glanced down at his bindings. Her hair was growing long enough to wrap twice, thrice around him. Once it completely encircled his waist, Hina took his left hand and tied a loop around his free wrist. This time, Tamatoa was able to bring himself to frown. "Seriously, what are you doing?" he asked. Hina threw him a glare, then suddenly stood, yanking him up with her. Tamatoa gasped as he was wrenched to his foot. He nearly fell over again, had it not been for Hina's secure bindings. Without a word, she pulled his tied wrist over her shoulder, hooked her arm under his right leg, and heaved him up onto her back. He nearly covered her with his bulk, but being a demigod, his weight was nothing to her.

"If you try to struggle, I'll knock you out cold!" Hina snarled. Tamatoa had no reply; he was overcome by shock mixing in with his despair. A huge, metallic groan sounded above them, followed by a deafening crack. Hina let out a frantic roar, then surged towards the mouth of the cave. Tamatoa's head bounced against her shoulder, and he gagged as his throat smacked her collar bone. The cave started to collapse around them, pushing treasure and giant chunks of rock in their way. Panting, Hina jumped over the piles of gold, taking huge strides. Within moments she'd reached the mouth of the cave. With such force that Tamatoa's head whipped back, Hina launched herself out of the cave in one leap. A loud, grinding crash rang behind them as the cave completely collapsed.

Hina stood in front of the ravine, breathing heavily as she heard the dust settle in the rubble of the cave behind them. Tamatoa sagged on top of her, muttering something unintelligible into her shoulder. She was thankful he wasn't struggling; though she still had her demigod strength, hauling Tamatoa's bulk through a collapsing cave had taken a toll nonetheless. Luckily, her hair held him fast to her, though her grip on him might have wavered a moment or two. A quick glance down assured her that her necklace was still secured in its pouch at her hip.

Hina swallowed in an attempt to calm herself. She looked up at the ravine, her heart starting to lighten. At least the walk though the pass wouldn't be so hard this time. Hina started forward when all of the sudden, a huge, resounding roar echoed in the air around them, originating somewhere from far behind them. She whipped around, eyes wide, straining to find the origin of the roar. On her back, Tamatoa made a noise that sounded like a combination of a laugh and a groan.

"Oh, wonderful," he drawled. "Now we've caught the attention of your spurned beau. Guess he was waiting for us this whole time. Figures." Hina's blood ran cold. She swallowed again, trying to find her voice.

"That...Was that Tunaroa?" she choked. Tamatoa jerked his head in a nod.

"I'd know that bellow anywhere. Either he stubbed his tail or he knows you're here. Better get a move on, darling." Hina's heart jumped into her throat. She would have snapped at Tamatoa for his indifferent tone, but then the ground shuddered from some kind of impact. It was enough to unfreeze her from her panic. Hina bent her knees and jumped straight up, landing unsteadily onto the ledge on one side of the ravine. Another horrible roar shook the air, closer than before. She turned around and stared in horror at a huge, undulating black shape snaking down the mountain on the other side of the hollow. It's direction was unmistakable; it was heading straight towards them! Hina huffed and turned to flee in the opposite direction. She had to get them out of Lalotai; it would be harder for Te Tunaroa to pick up her trail once they crossed worlds. But she needed a fast way out. The entrance to the realm of monsters was a one-way passage. The only way out was to either find another portal, or to take a geyser out. The latter was faster, so that's what she'd have to use.

Hina frantically scanned the surrounding ground for a geyser, trying to ignore the snarling roar and shuffling thumps coming ever nearer. She didn't dare look back, knowing meeting Te Tunaroa's gaze would paralyze her. Tamatoa sighed.

"I can feel his breath on my heels," he said dully. "Why don't you just drop me? At this point I'd welcome death by being swallowed, even if it means saving you in the process." Hina found the strength to roll her eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she snarled, "but neither of us it dying today. Not if I have anything to say about it." Tamatoa snorted. Hina's heart thudded as she neared the end of the ravine. Despite the urgency, she skidded to a halt. The valley was farther below than she thought it was. It might hurt to land, enough to slow her progress. Tunaroa's roar echoed in her ears, nearer than ever. Hina nearly stumbled, but then she finally found it. Her heart leaped as she spotted a geyser vent, right below where she stood. The drop was pretty long, but if she aimed correctly, they'd land right in the middle of the vent. The ground shuddered as something huge landed on the rise behind them. Hina's heart seized. Against her better judgment, Hina turned around. Fear struck her dumb at the terror bearing down on them. A huge black maw filled with rows of giant, needle-like teeth seemed to be flying towards them, only indicating the massive head it was attached to with every other undulation of the monster's mile-long body. He could easily swallow them both in one gulp. It wouldn't be a bad way to capture a demigod.

Hina's knees shook so horribly she nearly lost her footing. The great eel was getting closer and closer. For a second, she caught a glimpse of one flashing yellow eye. If there was one thing in this world or others Hina feared, it was Te Tunaroa. She wasn't too proud to admit it. He would have been like any other god, indeed, like any other man, if it weren't for his fierce possessiveness and temper. Anything he took as a slight to his pride he received with thunderous fury. Hina highly doubted that his pursuit of her had anything to do with spurned affections. Likely, he viewed her as a failed conquest, one his ego demanded that he rectify. She was nothing but a trophy for him.

"So, you've decided on our deaths then?" Tamatoa muttered gloomily. Hina almost didn't hear him over Tunaroa's roaring. "Good, I second that motion wholeheartedly." His words jostled Hina out of her frightened fugue. She whipped around and stared at the vent far below. There was no time to aim. It was now or never.

"Hang on," she muttered, "and don't let go." Tamatoa didn't acknowledge her. At the sound of Tunaroa's rumbling, Hina let out a war cry, and leaped off of the cliff. There was a loud crash from Tunaroa's jaws snapping shut around the air where they had been just moments before. Hina and Tamatoa plummeted straight down into the vent, only to be launched straight up immediately afterwards. They rocketed up, up, straight into the water column above, disappearing with a loud splash.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For some reason, Tamatoa found himself in the water. Well, that was odd; he never went in the water. He couldn't swim. He must have been mistaken. Maybe he was dreaming. Yes, that's it. He was asleep, nestled snugly in his cave. It would explain why his eyes were closed, and why he couldn't breathe.

Tamatoa's eyes flew open. He was suspended in dark salt water, just an arm's length below the surface. He clamped his mouth shut to prevent precious air from escaping and flailed wildly—or as wildly as he could in water. He hadn't the first clue what to do; he'd never set foot in the ocean before. He couldn't; he was a coconut crab. Coconut crabs didn't have gills. Now he had a human body, he was even more unable to fathom how to navigate the water. Cold was quickly setting into his limbs, his weak skin doing nothing to protect him. His lungs burned for air. He looked desperately up at the rippling surface, but he made no progress towards it. Black closed in around his eyes. This wasn't how he wanted to die. It was too painful. He slowly rotated in place until he was facing down.

 _No...No...No_!

A hand grabbed his wrist, and suddenly Tamatoa was dragged upward. He gasped as his head broke the surface. His body soon followed, and in seconds he was lying on solid ground with his face pressed into sand. He looked up and saw the looming stone tower marking the entrance to Lalotai. That could only mean he had crossed over into the human world.

Tamatoa sat up and coughed violently, spitting out water and sand. Then he shook himself and frantically tried to brush the water off of himself. It felt so vulnerable, the feeling of water and sand against the skin. Normally stuff just rolled off of his shell, but not any more. He was completely exposed.

Tamatoa's shoulders sagged once his heart finally stopped pounding. The near drowning had brought back the memory of being cursed. He was a puny, soft human now; weak, pathetic, ugly. Almost absently, he looked down at his reflection in the water. A dejected, round-jawed human face stared up at him. The only thing he recognized of himself in the reflection was the blue in his eyes. At least that was the same. Why was he even still here? What was the point? He cursed the self-preservation that had kicked in underwater. He should have just inhaled and drowned. Maybe he could try again...

"Keep leaning over like that and you'll fall in again." Tamatoa looked up so quickly a pain shot through his neck. He grunted and rubbed at it angrily as his gaze fixed onto Hina. She stood next to him, wringing water from her braid. She met his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going to let you drown yourself after what I had to go through to drag you out of Lalotai." Tamatoa glared at her.

"I told you to leave me there," he snarled. "I didn't ask for your help. Do you really think I have any will to live now that I'm...this!" He gestured at his bare chest, nearly recoiling at the sight of his many fingers. "I'm soft, I'm small, and I'm positively _hideous_!" Just saying it made the reality of it more present, and a shiver passed up his back. "You've ruined me." Hina sighed and put her hands on his hips.

"You don't have to stay this way, you know," she said. Though her tone was impatient, there was a hint of something else in Hina's voice that made Tamatoa look back up at her. She wasn't looking directly at him anymore; her gaze was somewhere near his knee. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't place. It was a more vulnerable emotion...was it pity? The thought of being pitied lit a flame of anger in Tamatoa's belly. How dare she pity him, when it was her fault he was in this form.

"Well I don't see any obvious way to fix this," he snapped. He held his arms out wide and glanced around. "We're on a rock in the middle of the sea, and I've been cursed by a god. How do you plan on improving the situation, milady?" Hina lifted her eyes to his and narrowed them, her mouth clenching into a line.

"I'm going to break this curse," she bit out. "It's my fault Te Tunaroa got his hands on my necklace, and it's my fault you've been...turned human." He didn't miss the hesitation in her voice. A small part of him wondered at her strange mood. Something was troubling her, other than the problem at hand. Most of him didn't care how she was feeling though, and hoped she could tell. "So, I'm going to break this curse, on you and my necklace. I owe you, and I never leave debts unpaid." Tamatoa couldn't help but laugh at this. He shook his head and clapped his hands slowly. Normally, he would relish being having a demigod in debt to him, but the circumstances were so ridiculous there was no satisfaction to be had. All he felt was cold resentment.

"Well the, Your Moon-ness, how do you plan on restoring me to my beautiful self?" Tamatoa asked. Hina bent down and picked up her headband. She was purposefully taking her time in answering Tamatoa's question to give herself room to process all that had happened. Obviously he didn't need to wrestle with his emotions like she did, as his impatience was clear on his face. To give herself more time, Hina turned away and scanned the small beach for her boat. She was sure they'd landed pretty close to where she had moored it. When her eyes finally found it, bobbing slightly against the stone of the pillar, she collected her thoughts.

Te Tunaroa was still after her. Her necklace was cursed so she couldn't safely use it, and now Tamatoa was cursed as well. At first glance it seemed like he'd simply been turned human, which in itself was a problem. But when she had looked at him closely, back in the cave, Hina realized it was much more than that. The eyes, the hair, the cheekbones and the jawline under the slight softening, the curve of the eyebrows...When he spoke, she saw a slight space between his two front teeth, and there were small scars wrapping around his wrists under the gold leather bands. Two little braids hung down from what she realized were a pair of sideburns growing down from his hair. The tattoos were the same, the hair...

It was just too coincidental, having all these features at the same time, on the same body. Even the clothes and the tattoos were the same. But, she kept telling herself that no matter how much she tried to see it that way, he was just turned into a normal human. But another part of her just as insistently told her she couldn't be sure without one final clue. Until she saw the one absolutely defining characteristic that could confirm her suspicions, she would have to stop berating herself and get her head out of the clouds. Her rational side didn't want to admit how much she hoped she was right.

Hina shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. The task at hand was to find a way to break Tunaroa's curse. As long as that was a priority, everything else could take a back seat. Hina turned back to Tamatoa, and felt her gaze softening. Though he was watching her expectantly, he looked so depressed, so vulnerable. Who could blame him? His armor had been stripped away, both figuratively and literally. He probably hadn't felt helplessness like this in a long while, if ever. He wouldn't willingly go anywhere without some kind of reassurance. Hina sighed, and gave him a calm smile.

"I know someone who might be able to break the curse," she said. Tamatoa made an annoyed huff and threw his arms up, eyes rolling to the sky.

"Might? _Might_? I'm going to need a lot better than might, milady." Hina gave him a half nod.

"Yes, might. If she can't do it, she can definitely tell us how we may do it." Tamatoa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? And who is this she who might help us?"

"She's the medicine woman for a small village, on the island of Niue. She is wise and versed in magic. I've relied on her many times in the past for solving riddles like this. She can help us break the curse, either herself or by pointing us in the right direction." Tamatoa gave her a highly skeptical look, his mouth drawn up to one corner.

"A human is going to help us with a curse made by a god?" This time Hina felt she was allowed a scowl. Her patience was starting to wear thin, despite a voice telling her to be above it.

"She is very close to the gods," Hina said tersely. "She communes with them regularly. She will know what needs to be done to help us, even if her magic alone can't help." Tamatoa crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Right." Hina took a deep breath. She took solace in the fact that he hadn't yet rejected her plan outright.

"We'll also need supplies," she continued. "maybe some weapons. I don't want us to be without some kind of protection if we encounter any kind of trouble." The shadow that crossed Tamatoa's brow told her he knew what kind of trouble she was referring to. At least she could be assured he understood their mutual situation. "And, I'd like to make a prosthetic for your leg." Tamatoa quickly shot a glare at her. Before he could argue, Hina continued. "You don't have extra pairs of legs anymore, Tamatoa," she said sternly. "You've only got one good leg now. I can't carry you all over the place while we have a god on our tail. You have to be able to stand on your own." She gave him a gentle smile. "There is good, sturdy wood to be found on Niue. I can make you a reliable prosthetic that will help you walk without much of a limb. It's the least I can do."

Tamatoa eyed Hina for a few moments. He could see she was being genuine; apparently she actual gave enough of a care for what happened to him to want him to be comfortable. Whether it was actually because she cared about what happened to him or because her pride wouldn't let a mistake stand for long, he was less sure of. He was inclined to think the latter. Though he hated the idea of asking a human for help, he supposed if the stories were anything to go by, there were certain mortals who had enough of a connection to the gods that their own powers could become something to behold. If there was a chance something as easy as asking an old woman for help could get him out of this nightmare, he'd take it. Hina watched him, waiting. Tamatoa tried to draw some satisfaction from her admitting she owed him, but his heart wasn't in it right now. He absentmindedly put a hand to his stomach. Now that they'd been out of danger for a little while, the hunger and fatigue from his past ordeals were starting to set in again. He was so hungry...

"Well?" Hina asked. She raised her eyebrows in earnest. "Will you come with me to Niue?" Tamatoa wrestled with himself for a moment, but then his stomach growled with embarrassing volume. He groaned and rubbed his hand down his face, then leveled an annoyed grimace at Hina.

"Fine," he said, his teeth clenched. Hina gave him a half smile and nodded.

"When this is all over, I'll bring you back to Lalotai myself," she said, "I promise." She held out a hand to him. Tamatoa bit his lip, then sighed and reached out to clasp her hand in his.

"Deal."

Hina set to work untying the moor line from her boat. There was no point in delaying their departure for much longer, especially with Te Tunaroa on their trail. Luckily, her boat was hearty and strong; a simple outrigger large enough to fit three large people. Every few seconds, it seemed, the growling from Tamatoa's stomach kept growing louder. Eventually, the discomfort became too much for him, because he voiced his irritation out loud.

"How far away is this island anyway?" he asked. He wasn't quite whining. "Because I haven't eaten or slept in three days! If I don't get something to eat soon I'm going to die." Hina could have sworn that she heard him mutter something like, "Or I'll eat you." Hina couldn't help but smile. Perhaps the prospect of a solution to their predicament had lifted his spirits enough to bring back some of his old confidence.

"Well, normally it would take many days for us to reach Niue from here," said Hina. She didn't need to look back at him to know irritation would be rising on his face. "But, luckily, even though my necklace isn't working, my boat still is." The lack of response gave her reason to look back this time. Tamatoa stared at her, pure confusion on his brow. She smiled at him. "My boat is magic too, though its powers are separate from mine. It was given to me by the sun god. He said as the demigoddess of the moon, I should always sail by the light of the moon." She pointed at the sail. "This boat sails on moon light. With it, we can reach Niue in an hour or two." Tamatoa didn't look entirely convinced, but at least he didn't complain again. He just crossed his arms and pouted.

"So when do we leave?" he asked again.

"We can leave now, but we won't be traveling with magic until the after dark, when the moon rises." Nerves rose in Hina's stomach, and she glanced around anxiously. "In fact we should really get a move on. It's better to be on the water and moving when invoking the boat's power." Tamatoa actually smirked when she said this.

"Or rather, better to be away from here before dear Daddy Eel shows up, eh?" Hina's cheeks flushed at his jab. He didn't miss her real fear at all. Hina huffed and shrugged it off. So what if he knew how afraid she was? If he was smart, he would be afraid too.

"If you think Te Tunaroa will leave you alone when he catches up with us, you're sorely mistaken." Tamatoa gave her a dubious look. Hina raised her eyebrows and nodded. "You underestimate Tunaroa's jealousy. It doesn't matter what we think of each other. You're a male, and you're near me. Therefore, you're dead." Some of the color drained from Tamatoa's face. He huffed and looked down, his mouth twisting around some unspoken words. Hina turned to finish untying her boat, and pulled the rope to move the boat over to the beach in front of Tamatoa. Hina tucked the end of the rope between some rocks and pulled it up onto the shore. Tamatoa looked up as Hina came over to stand beside him. She held out her hands for him to take. He glared at her, and she scowled back at him.

"What?" she asked. "We need to go, and you can't walk. Let me help you onto the boat." Tamatoa rolled his eyes. After a grudging moment of silence, he held up his left hand and allowed Hina to pull him to his foot. Tamatoa instantly lost his balance, gasping as he pitched forward. Hina dug her shoulder under his and quickly threw his arm around her neck. With a grunt, Hina pulled them both upright again. She sighed, then something caused a prickling on her neck. She looked over and realized Tamatoa was staring at her, eyes wide, mouth parted in surprise. For a moment, their eyes locked. Hina felt her face grow hot, and her throat dried out. She noticed tiny freckles under his eyes, something she hadn't seen before. And his eyes...they were the same...Hina's heart pounded hard against her ribs. She couldn't breathe. After a moment that felt like eternity, Tamatoa swallowed and averted his eyes. Hina quickly did the same, but not before catching sight of a flush growing across Tamatoa's cheeks. Hina cleared her throat.

"Just lean on me," she said flatly. Tamatoa nodded, saying nothing. Hina wrapped her free arm around his waist and hefted most of his weight onto her hip. She then helped Tamatoa over to the boat, acting as a crutch for his missing leg. For the final step onto the boat, Hina bent her knees and gently lifted Tamatoa up enough for him to place his foot on the bow. Hina wordlessly helped him lower himself into a sitting position, and they unwound their arms from around each other. Hina noticed her hand remaining on Tamatoa's shoulder a little too long, and quickly removed it. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed. Hina then headed to the stern and kicked the boat off from the beach. She paddled a few times with her oat, then tugged the rope controlling the sail and allowed the wind to carry them forward. The monolith guarding the entrance to Lalotai shrank behind them as the distance as the boat gathered speed.

Hina tied the rope down to the handle controlling the rudder and settled down into the hollow of the stern. The sun was setting to their left, throwing orange and gold light up from the horizon. The glow slid down the sail onto Tamatoa sitting in front. He held a hand up to shield his eyes, then rotated on the spot so he was facing the bow. Hina didn't notice his back was turned to her at first; she was too busy checking the current. When she finally looked up, Hina's heart stopped. Her mouth fell open at the sight before her, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe at all. When her chest was about to burst, Hina sucked in a hard breath. On Tamatoa's broad back, stretching from his shoulder blades and the base of his neck to his lower back, was a large, ornate tattoo of a coconut crab done in black and red ink. In the center of its shell was a golden spiral.

Hina inhaled and stuffed a fist in her mouth to stifle a cry. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she had to swallow a sob as it welled in her throat. This was it; this was the final clue she'd been looking for, and, on some level, dreading. She had been right, and she didn't know if that was wonderful or horrible.

Tamatoa watched the water change from orange to green to deep blue. After a while, the slow, constant undulation of the sea brought a wave of dizziness and nausea on. Tamatoa exhaled harshly and put his face in his hands. He took several deep breaths through his nose in an attempt to stave off the nausea. It certainly didn't help that he was so hungry, nor that he had never, ever been on a boat before. Of course he hadn't; he never went near the water, much less set foot on something that could float him on it. If he didn't do something, he was going to be sick. Eventually, Tamatoa just groaned and laid down on his back. He tucked his hands under his head and stared up at the sky. The stars were starting to peek out from behind the receding skirt of the day. The constancy of the sky helped to ease his nausea, and the gentle rocking of the boat soothed his nerves. Still, his stomach pained him greatly. He closed his eyes in an attempt to at least get some sleep.

Just as he was starting to doze, Tamatoa heard a sniffle. He tilted his head back and craned his eyes up. Hina was hunched over on the stern, the hand she held on the rudder trembling slightly. She held the other hand to her eyes. Upon closer inspection, Tamatoa realized Hina was wiping away tears. Her breath was catching slightly, though she was obviously putting in effort to keep quiet. Tamatoa couldn't help but frown in confusion. What on earth was she crying about? She certainly didn't have anything to justify it. He did; he had plenty to cry about. At this point though, he was done dwelling on the soft emotions and was content to instead sit in annoyance or anger. So far as he could see, Hina was in the best position right now. So what had brought her to tears? As he pondered this, Hina looked up.

Tamatoa quickly swung his gaze back up to the sky. He hoped she hadn't caught sight of him staring; he wasn't sure how she would react. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would want everyone to be privy to her emotional turmoil. Not that she was any good at hiding it; those eyes of hers were like wide open windows. They spelled out every feeling clear as day. Though he'd been hard pressed to tell what she'd been thinking when she'd helped him stand on the beach. He'd fully expected her to let him fall flat on his face, but she had been right there to hold him up. He was so shocked he couldn't help but stare at her. Then she'd stared back at him, right into his eyes. He'd watch her cheeks darken, her breath hitch. He was sure he'd even heard the pounding of her heart. And her eyes had taken over his vision, drawing him into their green depths. He'd felt his own heartbeat race, heat suffuse his own cheeks. It was highly unsettling, and he had not the slightest idea why it had happened. Things only became more confusing when Hina took great pains to help the transition into the boat as easy as possible. She'd been so gentle with him, taking almost all of his weight. Yes, she was a super strong demigod, but still. A weird, bottomless feeling opened up in his stomach, and he was sure it didn't have anything to do with hunger. He quickly forgot about that, though, when another cramp rippled through his stomach. Tamatoa winced and clutched at his belly.

"Hey, when are we going to do this fast travel thing?" he groaned. Hina sniffed once more, quite audibly, before answering.

"Soon. The moon is almost risen. Look! Here it comes." Tamatoa looked to the east and caught sight of the moon, already quite above the horizon. It was full and bright, blotting out any stars it crossed in front of. Tamatoa looked back at Hina again, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Hina sat back on the stern, her face turned upward, eyes closed and her mouth resting in a contented smile. The moonlight seemed to gravitate towards her, wreathing her in a soft glow. Her hair shone, blacker than midnight, with silver shimmering in its tresses. It almost looked like the moonlight was embracing her.

"That feels nice," she sighed, grinning. "Even if I cannot use the powers the moon gives to me, I know it still loves me." Tamatoa couldn't help but laugh at this sentiment. He clamped his mouth shut in an attempt to conceal it, but it just came buzzing out anyway.

"Sorry, but did you say that the moon loves you?" he chuckled. Hina threw him a scowl, but seemed too happy to keep it set. The scowl soon morphed into a smile, and she actually giggled.

"I guess that does sound a bit fanciful. But you have to understand; the moon chose me to be a demigod. The gods wouldn't have found me if it weren't for the moon. It comforted me when I was...lost." A shadow crossed her features for a moment. Hina cleared her throat and looked up towards the horizon. Tamatoa frowned and opened his mouth to complain about her being so confusing but she quickly spoke up to change the subject. "In any case, now that the moon has risen, we can sail on its light." Tamatoa groaned and threw his hands up, another rumble shaking his stomach.

"Finally! Let's get on with it then!" He glanced back at Hina; he was actually kind of curious what would need to be done to sail on moonlight. Hina set her free hand on the wood in front of her, and muttered something Tamatoa had to strain to hear.

"We need to go to Niue. Sail well, my friend." Tamatoa creased his brow. His confusion was mounting minute by minute, something that set him on an unnecessary edge. Like dropping something, being confused caused him strange anxiety. He hid it by smirking.

"Who are you talking to, Madam Moon?" he asked. Hina gave him a slightly impatient half-smile.

"I'm talking to the boat," she said simply. "I told you it was magic." She jerked the rudder, and suddenly the boat swung to the right. Tamatoa gasped and gripped the sides of the boat to keep from being thrown off. The boat tipped precariously to the side, and Tamatoa nearly came face-to-face with the water. Hina quickly jumped to the float and pulled hard on the rope to pull the boat upright again. She then leaped back to the stern and pulled the sail open. The boat lurched forward. The world turned slightly, and the water seemed to lift the boat up in a bulge of a wave. From where he was pressed flat against the deck, Tamatoa watched the stars in the sky disappear behind the glow of an ever growing moon. Soon, the moon was all he could see. The boat shuddered for a few moments, and the moon's light burned into Tamatoa's eyes until he couldn't keep them open.

Suddenly, the shuddering stopped. Tamatoa grimaced, but then felt comfortable enough to try opening his eyes. The moon was now behind them, and the stars had returned, brighter now that the moon was not blinding them. Tamatoa breathed in deeply, then carefully sat up. The sea was calm, flat even. He looked back and saw Hina kneeling on the stern, her eye on the horizon, a hand firmly on the rudder, guiding the sail with a confident grip on the leading rope. She caught his gaze and grinned.

"That went smoother than usual," she said brightly. "We should reach Niue within the hour." Apparently he had some kind of amusing look on his face, because Hina laughed. Tamatoa quickly grew annoyed and impatiently pursed his lips. She just laughed some more.

"I'm guessing _that_ was sailing on moonlight?" he asked. She nodded, and he rolled his eyes, turning his back to her. "Wasn't that impressive," he scoffed. He severely hoped she believed his tone. He crossed his legs and stared up at the stars. "So, why were you talking to the boat? I know you said it's magic; does it need magic words?" He heard her giggle.

"No, no; that's not it. Part of the magic comes from the boat itself. The other part is from the spirit controlling it. His name is Irawaru."

"His?" Tamatoa glanced back at her. Hina nodded and patted the neck.

"He was a mortal I made friends with, long ago. Unfortunately, he was rather arrogant and made the mistake of challenging Maui to a fight. In the struggle, Maui's temper got the best of him. He hit him with this boat, breaking Irawaru's back against the keel. Part of his spirit latched itself to the boat when he died." She sighed, a sad look crossing her face. "It was terrible, but at least his spirit wasn't vengeful. He takes the boat where I ask him to, and he's never failed me no matter the weather." She smiled again. "He seems to make sailing on moonlight even faster." She nodded to the horizon. Tamatoa followed her gaze, and was surprised to see a dark shape growing up from the sea. "There's Niue," she said. "Just as I promised."

Tamatoa had to admit, he was impressed. It hadn't even been an hour since they'd touched down from the moonlight sail. The very idea that soon he would finally have food an a warm place to sleep had him practically trembling with anticipation. As if in agreement, his stomach growled loudly. He groaned.

"I'll eat whatever they put in front of me," he said. "And then I'll likely collapse on the spot." Hina laughed.

"Now, before we get there, we'll need to come up with a name for you to use." Tamatoa snorted and glanced back at her, eyebrow raised..

"Why would I do that?" he asked. Hina gave him a patient look.

"Do you really think they would welcome you if they knew who you were? You may not know this, but your reputation here in the mortal world is not a good one. You're quite the infamous monster." Pride swelled in his chest, and Tamatoa grinned.

"Well, of course," he said loftily. "No one in this realm is my match. I'd be insulted if they didn't fear me." Hina raised an eyebrow.

"You really want that without a hard shell to protect you? Not to mention your usual size." Tamatoa's face fell, a hole opening up in his stomach. Hearing that he was a feared figure had made him temporarily forget that he was a squishy little human now. He wasn't even shiny either...and he only had one leg now. Tamatoa cursed and pressed his fist against the deck, gritting his teeth.

"So what do you suggest?" Hina chuckled behind him.

"Just let me do the talking. You relax and enjoy the luxuries of Niue."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hina furled Irawaru's sail and pulled her oar out from its slat on the port side. They were close enough to Niue that paddling would be sufficient. Lights from the village fires grew brighter as they approached. The tide was with them, so they approached at a pretty quick speed. As they approached the island the swell picked up before breaking against the atoll reef. At one point the swell nearly unseated Tamatoa; he gasped and frantically bent prostrate against the deck, gripping the outrigger to the float. Fortunately, the last wave carried them cleanly over the reef and into the calmer shallows. Hina heard Tamatoa sigh as he straightened up. His tattoo stood out so starkly in the moonlight, sending a knife into Hina's heart. She tried to keep her eye on the ever nearing island, reminding herself that there were more important matters at hand. She was counting on their fabricated story coupled with the fact that centuries had passed for the people of Niue to not recognize Tamatoa. If she was lucky, no one would be old enough to remember his original story. However, if anyone saw that tattoo, there was a chance he would be recognized. She'd have to find something to cover it quickly.

"Now remember, stick to the story," she said. When he didn't answer, she raised her voice over the sound of the waves. Tamatoa raised a hand, not turning around.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Fake name and everything. Lie to every question. Got it." Hina frowned at the dismissal in his voice.

"You don't have to lie completely. Just, omit whatever anyone doesn't need to know," she said. Tamatoa laughed.

"Which is everything." He turned back to smirk at her. "Don't worry yourself, cher. I'll be too busy stuffing my face to answer anyone's questions." His smile was broken by a pained wince, and he clutched at his stomach. "So let's hurry up and make landfall, yeah? I swear I'm going to faint if I have to wait any longer." Hina bit her lip to stifle a laugh, and gave an almighty pull to the paddle. Irawaru shot forward the final ten feet to the beach before being pushed gently onto the sand by the waves.

Hina hopped off of the boat and pulled it up fully out of the water and onto the beach. She then held out a hand to Tamatoa. He took her hand and she pulled him to his foot. He let her put his arm around her shoulders and her arm around his waist. When she heard him let out an annoyed huff, she gave his wrist a gentle squeeze. He turned his head to look at her, eyebrow raised. Realizing she might have a repeat of their previous close encounter, she cleared her throat and nodded towards the lights of the village.

"Don't worry. Soon you won't need me to help you walk, I promise." Tamatoa pinched his mouth skeptically, but said nothing. After a moment of silence, they started forward up the crest of the beach.

Once they were halfway up the rise, Hina heard someone sound an alarm, followed by a cheerful cry. A warm glow spread in Hina's chest at the sound of laughter and excited voices. No matter how far or how long she roamed, the people of Niue were always happy to see her. Since she'd first set foot on the island a century ago, the people welcomed her into their fold like she was one of their own. It was almost like being with her mortal family...almost. As they approached the lights from the village, the people appeared in a crowd over the rise. They called out and waved to them, smiles on everyone's faces.

"It's Hina!"

"Hina!"

"She's back!" Men, women and children of all ages gathered to greet the visitors, smiles on every face. Hina noticed that the village's population seemed smaller than before. Several familiar faces were missing from the cheering crowd. Hina kept her smile in place as the two groups met on the threshold of the village proper. When they noticed she was toting a burly, one-legged stranger, the people of Niue paused in their accolades, most of their of their smiles falling a bit.

"Hello, people of Niue," Hina said, smiling brightly. The people bombarded her with a million questions and comments, and she chuckled. Tamatoa stood resolutely silent, eyes cast down at the ground. She could tell he felt uncomfortable, or at least annoyed. Hina cleared her throat in an attempt to call for quiet. Luckily, the village chief quickly pushed himself through the crowd to the front. The chief was a tall, well built man slightly past his prime. His pitch-black hair was tied back in a ponytail that fell to his middle back. His right arm was covered in tattoos. His eldest son, the next chief in line, followed him to the front. They both gave Hina friendly smiles, but eyed Tamatoa with concern.

"Hina, demigoddess of the moon, welcome back to Niue," the chief said, spreading his arms graciously. Hina beamed and dipped her head in respect.

"Thank you, Chief," she said. The chief gestured at Tamatoa.

"I see you brought a friend," he said. He was joined by most of the other villagers in fixing Tamatoa with looks of both concern and cautious curiosity. After a slight delay, the people caught sight of his missing leg. Gasps and small cries rose from the crowd. The chief held out a sympathetic hand. "What happened? Are you alright, friend?" Tamatoa scowled and looked away, his cheeks flushing. Guilt burned in Hina's stomach, and she quickly spoke up as they had planned before landing.

"Sorry. Chief, everyone, this is Taua. He got lost at sea and was attacked by an unusually large and aggressive shark. His boat was too small and old to handle the attack; he lost the boat and he lost his leg." Even more gasps erupted from this information. Hina could swear some of the women started to weep. She thanked the gods the good people of Niue were so trusting and sensitive. She nodded to embellish her story. "It was lucky I was just passing by in the vicinity. I healed his leg as best as I could , but I couldn't save it completely." There were some sympathetic sighs. "Since yours was the closest island, I decided to bring him here. I was heading here anyway." The people smiled and murmured praises for her kindness. The chief smiled fondly at Hina, and gave Tamatoa one as well.

"Well, you are both welcome here," he said. The people nodded and voiced their agreement. As if in response, Tamatoa's stomach rumbled loudly. Everyone fell silent for a moment. Tamatoa let out growl that turned into a groan. Before he could rudely complain, Hina continued her explanation.

"Taua ran out of supplies when he got lost. I'm afraid he hasn't had anything to eat or drink in almost four days." The loudest gasp yet rose from the assembled villagers. The chief's youngest child, his sixteen-year-old daughter, rushed forward to the front of the crowd. She clasped her hands concernedly under her chin.

"Then we should bring him back to the village at once!" she declared. "We were just sitting down to a feast. We have plenty of food and water to share. They can eat with us, right Dad?" She glanced back at the chief. He smiled and nodded.

"Calm down now, it's alright. Of course they can join us. Hina is welcome, and any friend of hers is welcome too." He held an arm out and gestured back towards the village. "Come, bring your friend and we'll continue our feast. Now we can add Hina and her friend's arrival to our celebration!" The people of Niue cheered. Under the roar of the crowd, Hina heard Tamatoa moan again. He slumped a bit against her. Hina wondered if maybe he was in worse shape than she'd thought; perhaps his hunger and thirst had finally caught up with him. She hefted him against her shoulder and followed the chief in the procession of villagers. Several men came up to them and offered to take over supporting Tamatoa, but Hina gently waved them off. She didn't want to risk Tamatoa insulting anyone or lashing out.

"No thank you, that's fine. He's in a bit of a shock after all that's happened." She hurried as best as she could to keep up with the chief. Tamatoa grunted angrily as he was forced to hop along with her, and she lifted him up a little higher onto her hip to make it easier. When she was level with the chief, Hina caught his attention. "Pardon me, Chief, but I was wondering where Apikaila was. I wish to speak with her." The chief raised an eyebrow, but then gave her a smile and nodded.

"She was going to come to the rise with us when we heard your arrival, but I'm afraid she moves rather slow these days." He looked up and laughed. "Speaking of which, here she is now." Hina looked to where he pointed.

A tiny, stooped old woman was shuffling down the path towards them, pumping her arms feebly at her sides. Her skin was like worn leather, and her snow-white hair was tied up in a tight bun at the top of her head. She wore a large, ornately stitched red cloth over one shoulder, covering most of her frail frame and obscuring all but the hem of her skirt. One skinny arm poked out from the folds of the cloth, and her bare feet barely protruded from beneath her skirt. She raised a slightly trembling hand in greeting as the crowd approached her, a grin spreading across her wizened face.

"Apikaila," the chief called. "Hina has returned to Niue."

"I know, I know," Apikaila said loudly. "I heard the alarm. I'm not deaf, you know." When they reached each other, Hina paused and waited for the villagers to pass before leaning down to speak to the elder.

"Apikaila," Hina greeted, inclining her head. "I'm so glad to see you again."

"Glad to see me alive, you mean," the old woman teased, wagging a finger at the demigod. "My dear Hina, what brings you back to our tiny island, hm?" She peered up at Tamatoa, squinting tightly. "Who have you brought us, my dear?" Tamatoa glared at her. Hina cleared her throat.

"That's part of why I'm here," she said, lowering her voice. She glanced up at the receding crowd before continuing. "I need to speak with you, urgently." Tamatoa growled and waved his hand in an attempt to thump her shoulder.

"You can chat it up later," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm about to pass out here." Apikaila raised her eyebrows in concern.

"My dear, what happened to you?" She narrowed her eyes, inspecting Hina. "What happened to your necklace, Hina?" Hina sighed. She supposed she should be glad that only the medicine woman had noticed.

"Well..." This time Tamatoa stomped his foot against the ground.

"Talk later," he snarled. "Food now!" Hina winced at his voice in her ear, but she decided better than to complain. She really shouldn't make him wait any longer; she could talk with Apikaila later.

"Of course. Let's get you something to eat." Hina nodded to Apikaila. "I'll need to speak with you a little later." Apikaila waved her hand dismissively.

"Sure, sure," the elder. "If he's going to keep whining like baby, might as well feed the boy." Tamatoa growled and mumbled something poisonous under his breath. Hina sighed and quickly moved them away from Apikaila before the medicine woman had a chance to ask what Tamatoa had said.

Behind the, Apikaila watched Hina pull her burly companion towards where the villagers had gathered for a feast. The old woman's eyes latched onto the strange man's back, and they widened as a torch light threw it into sharp view. She saw the large black and red coconut crab tattoo, with the golden spiral in the middle. She knew exactly what that meant. Suddenly, she was extremely impatient to talk with Hina.

Hina took Tamatoa over to sit on the far side of the gathered people. However, before she'd had a chance to help him sit down, the chief called for their attention and waved them over. Tamatoa winced as he was forced to push up off of his half bent knee. Hina must have heard him, because she hefted him more onto her hip. Now his foot barely touched the ground. Tamatoa nearly groaned in relief at the release of pressure from his single foot. He didn't want to admit it, but even having some of his weight on only one foot was beginning to pain him. He almost thanked her, but then remembered himself and clamped his mouth shut. They approached the chief, who smiled at them and beckoned them forward.

"Come, you're honored guests here! You'll sit by me." The chief's young daughter smiled at and patted the mats between her and her father. Tamatoa's throat clenched and he started to shake his head. He didn't want to sit by anyone; that might mean he 'd have to talk to people. He didn't want to talk to these people. He wouldn't know the first thing to say. Tamatoa quickly looked at Hina and shook his head, but she fixed him with a cowing stare and nodded stiffly.

"We would be honored, Chief," Hina said. She forced the words out insistently, so Tamatoa couldn't mistake her meaning. "Thank you so much." Tamatoa's heart started to thud painfully as Hina helped him sit down. She put him on the mat closest to the chief's daughter, then sat on his other side between him and the chief. Tamatoa quickly averted his eyes down to his clasped hands. His hunger was almost forgotten by the fact that he was now sitting among and was surrounded by humans.

Once upon a time, being surrounded by humans with an empty stomach would have been a delightful little set of circumstances. He'd probably successfully eaten a dozen or more humans over the course of his life—so far as he could tell. They'd been a fine meal, though most of the satisfaction came from the action of defeating them in their attempts to take him on. It was just another example of how awesome he was. But now...He swallowed hard and chanced a glance up at the gathered villagers. They were all chatting happily with each other, laughing, smiling, some already resuming their meal. He felt so small next to them, even if his build was technically on the larger side. He was definitely taller than half the people there. Yet he still felt small and vulnerable in the face of now being on level ground with humans. He couldn't possibly imagine eating one of these people now, even if he turned back into a giant crab. Any appetite he'd had for humans before was killed completely by becoming one of them.

A gentle tap on his shoulder jerked Tamatoa's attention up from his hands. Hina tilted her head and pointed with her eyes to the right. Tamatoa looked in the direction she was indicating. The chief had raised his hands in a call for silence. The gathered villagers fell silent and fixed their gazes on their leader. The chief smiled around at his people, and then at the two visitors.

"Everyone, we have been given another reason to be thankful to the gods tonight. We first started this feast to celebrate the restart of our voyaging practices." The villagers cheered at this statement, some raising bowls and cups in toasts. The chief beamed. "We ask the gods to keep our voyagers safe on their scouting journeys to find new islands," he said. "But we can also be thankful for a visit from our dear friend, Hina." More cheers followed this. Hina smiled shyly and waved a bit to the people. Tamatoa rolled his eyes and leaned his cheek against his fist. As if he cared what reason these people had to put together a feast. In his annoyance, he nearly missed the chief's next statement.

"And, we can be thankful that Hina honored us with trusting us to take care of her new friend in his time of need." Tamatoa looked over at the chief, slowly raising an eyebrow. Where was the older man going with this? "We welcome you to our folds, Taua. We hope to be of help to you, and that you enjoy your time with us here on Niue." The people cheered for this too, much to Tamatoa's surprise. He looked around at the people. They all offered him friendly smiles and words of welcome. Heat suffused his cheeks. He bit his lip as an odd sensation filled his chest. These people were actually happy to have him there? They weren't treating him with any kind of suspicion or fear; they were welcoming him to their home, viewing him like someone who could become a friend. This was odd. He was used to being feared, not embraced. It wasn't the same...but it wasn't all that bad either. Tentatively, Tamatoa raised a hand and gave a small wave to the people. He even managed a small half smile.

"Now, I'm sure we're all hungry," the chief said. Tamatoa suppressed a groan as another cramp promptly ripped at his gut. Why did the chief have to bring up the hunger? He'd almost forgotten enough to be comfortable with waiting. The chief said something akin to telling everyone to dig in, and Tamatoa sighed in frustrated relief.

He only then realized that there wasn't any food immediately in front of him. He clenched his jaw and glanced around for something to sink his teeth into. At this point he was suddenly so far gone with hunger he couldn't actually hear the conversations happening around him. But he didn't have to look long; all of the sudden there was a bowl being held in front of his nose. He looked to his left and saw the chief's daughter smiling at him, her arm extended to offer the bowl to him.

"Here you go," the girl said cheerily, "you must be starving. Start with some of this." Tamatoa blinked, then looked down at the offering. He didn't recognize the food sitting in the bowl; it was lumpy and yellow, with singes here and there. Tamatoa stared at it, unsure of what to do. Next to him, Hina cleared her throat and touched his arm. He whipped his head around to face her, still unsure of what to say. She gave him an pointed smile, raising her eyebrows.

"Looks like Iulia is offering you something to eat," she said. She said the words slowly, as if she expected him to have trouble understanding her. That gave him a prickle of annoyance, but he couldn't muster any kind of comeback; she was kind of right. "Isn't that nice of her?" Hina gestured at the bowl with her eyes. Tamatoa shook himself, snapping out of his reverie. He guessed the hunger had rendered him dumb. He turned back to the chief's daughter and took the bowl from her. Hina elbowed him in the side when he remained silent. Tamatoa swallowed and nodded to the girl.

"Th...Thank you," he said. The words tasted bitter on his tongue; he doubted he'd ever thanked anyone for anything in his entire life. He nearly winced at the shaky edge to his voice. Gods, was he actually feeling shy? That was so ridiculous he nearly laughed, but he couldn't muster the strength. He decided to chalk it up to hunger and pushed it out of his mind. If what was in front of him was food, why in the world was he hesitating? Tamatoa took a piece of the mystery food between his fingers. It was warm and soft, and he realized the yellow was from some kind of glaze. He gave it a sniff, and his mouth instantly watered. It smelled amazing; savory with a hint of spices. He had no idea how he could tell what that smell was, but he didn't care. He shoved the piece into his mouth, remembering at the last minute that he should probably chew before swallowing. He nearly moaned at the intensity of the flavor. This was possibly the best thing he'd ever tasted; it was rich and tender, as savory as it had smelled, and it practically melted in his mouth. Tamatoa's stomach growled in anticipation as he swallowed.

All inhibition left him, and he started shoveling the food into his mouth by the handful, pausing only when his mouth was completely packed. His eyes involuntarily rolled back as he sighed in near delirium. He heard what sounded like an amused gasp from Iulia to his left, and caught sight of Hina rubbing her eyes in exasperation to his right. He didn't care. This was his first meal in four days; he believed he was allowed a lax in whatever manners might have been expected.

"Just be sure to chew your food," Hina muttered. Tamatoa smirked with a full mouth, and nearly lost some of his food. He quickly swallowed, then turned to the chief's daughter.

"This stuff is delicious," he said. "What is it?" Iulia blinked, then laughed.

"It's pork," she answered. "You've never had it before?" Tamatoa frowned and shook his head. He wasn't sure how him not knowing something was funny.

"What is that?" he asked. Hina put a hand on his arm, drawing his attention to her. Part of him wondered why she kept touching him to get his attention. It was so familiar, like they were friends or something. He supposed it was just keeping up the story they'd agreed on, but still, it seemed like overkill. She could also simply be being sensitive about his total ignorance about the human world. When he thought of it that way, he felt a twinge of gratitude to her for helping him work with that ignorance. He didn't want to be grateful, but he couldn't help it.

"It's meat, Taua, from a pig," Hina said. Tamatoa thought about that for a moment. He realized he'd never actually tried eating a land animal, despite being a land-dwelling crab. Looked like he'd really missed out. He shrugged, and went back to stuffing his face. The chief's daughter stared at him, seemingly fascinated. He kind of wished she wouldn't, but he was too set on sating his hunger.

"You've really never tasted pork before?" she asked. Tamatoa resisted the urge to roll his eyes; this was why he hadn't wanted to sit next to anyone. Why should he have to engage in pointless conversation when there were more important things to do, like fill his belly? He swallowed before answering.

"No, I haven't. I've only ever eaten fish." The girl's eyes widened.

"What kind of village do you come from?" Iulia asked. Tamatoa sighed. He supposed he should have expected he would have to actually tell part of this story they'd made up.

"I've never lived in a village," he said. "I live alone."

"All alone on a whole island?"

"It's a small island." He took a deep breath. So far so good. No harm in answering questions. "I couldn't tell you where it is relative to here, though. I got lost while fishing."

"How did you get lost?" Tamatoa pursed his lips. Well, this girl certainly liked questions.

"There was a storm. I was supposed to be gone for just a few days, but I got tossed about pretty badly." He reached for another bite of pork, but his fingers grasped at air. The bowl was empty. Tamatoa raised his eyebrows at his own behavior; he'd eaten a whole bowl of that stuff without even realizing it. And he still wasn't full. Iulia giggled.

"Still hungry?" she asked. He nodded, and she reached down towards the farther end of the food mat. Someone handed her another bowl, and then another. She brought them forward, beaming.

"Here, try some of this. Breadfruit and bananas; they're fruit, food from plants."

Hina watched Iulia press different foods into Tamatoa's hands. She was partially grateful that the chief's young daughter was being so hospitable to him. Oh the other hand, she was also worried Tamatoa might eventually grow tired of her attentions and snap at the poor girl. Hina could only hope satisfying his hunger would keep him occupied until the feast was over. She reluctantly turned her attention from them and back to the chief.

"So, Chief, you said you're all celebrating the reinstating of voyaging?" she asked. The chief nodded enthusiastically while he chewed his food.

"Yes, it was the most amazing thing. When the fishing and crops finally turned around after nearly a year, we received word that the heart of Te Fiti had finally been restored!" Hina's jaw dropped; she hadn't heard anything of the sort, not from the wind, the sea, nor sun. The moon hadn't even said anything to her. Unless, she'd been too preoccupied with the incident with Te Tunaroa to notice.

"The heart of Te Fiti? That's amazing!" she said, genuinely happy to hear such glorious news. The smallest peace of mind was always welcomed. "Do you know who accomplished this?" The chief's son actually answered this question, his smile bright.

"It was Maui!" he said. "He restored the heart and saved the whole ocean!" Hina's heart skipped a beat. So Maui really had returned, after missing for a thousand years. True, Tamatoa had said he'd been knocked onto his back by Maui. She even recalled Tamatoa saying Maui had been with a human when he'd retrieved his hook. So this was what he had done after getting it back; he went on to restore the heart of Te Fiti? She had a hard time believing it. Even if Maui had become selfless enough, why hadn't he contacted her? Unless, he was still mad at her... Curious, Hina quickly glanced over at Tamatoa. She couldn't tell if he had heard their conversation, at least until she saw his hands. The one that wasn't gripping food was clenched so tightly it was shaking. She looked at his face and saw a slight twitch forming in under his right eye. Hina quickly looked away before he noticed her staring at him. She hoped he hadn't noticed.

The chief held a hand out, giving his son an impatient look.

"That's not the entire story, Ioane," the chief scolded gently. "You're not giving the right person credit." Ioane pinched his mouth and crossed his arms, slightly put out. The chief gave Hina an apologetic smile and shrugged.

"Allow me to explain. We actually heard this news from a scouting boat from an island called Motunui." Hina nodded; she'd heard of the island. It stood far to the west of Niue. She'd forgotten that since Maui stole Te Fiti's heart a millennium ago, the people of the islands had lost contact with each other. She doubted many people remembered there were people outside of their own islands. "The lead way-finder told us that his chief's daughter had been chosen by the ocean to restore the heart. The ocean gave her the heart itself. She journeyed to the island where Maui had been banished, and managed to convince him to help her take the heart back to Te Fiti. In the end, she was the one to restore the heart, not Maui."

He said the last part pointedly to his son. Ioane pouted and looked away. The chief sighed. "My son has always admired Maui; he ate up the stories about him. For some reason, he finds it hard to believe that a mere girl would be able to accomplish such a task." The chief raised his eyebrow at Ioane. "Maui _did_ fight the demon Te Ka while the girl found a way to Te Fiti. Of course, it turns out Te Ka was Te Fiti; she was under a spell without her heart." Hina raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise. She actually knew this part; the ocean told her what had happened between Maui and Te Ka, who Te Ka was. The ocean had told her not to look for him, nor to try to find the heart; it wasn't her destiny. Now she knew why; the ocean had wanted a mortal to reconnect their bond with the gods, and to start way finding once again. She supposed she could understand this, but she still felt a bit hurt that literally no one had told her what had been transpiring in their world.

"I'm so glad to hear that. I'm guessing that's why your people seem a little smaller in number," Hina said. She was certainly glad nothing bad had happened to cull their population. The chief grinned and nodded.

"Yes. Now that the ocean is safe, we can take up our ancestors' torch and go back to exploring the world and discovering new islands. The world has opened up to us once again." Hina couldn't help but smile. Wherever the mortals went, she could go. Maybe once all this business with Te Tunaroa was done, she would do a little exploring herself. Before they could continue they conversation, however, someone appeared at the chief's shoulder. They stepped into the firelight, throwing their features into the open.

"Ah, Apikaila, there you are," the chief greeted. "I was wondering when you would be joining us."

"Too slow on those rickety old legs," Ioane muttered under his breath. The medicine woman smiled, then sharply smacked the chief's son on the back of the head. Ioane gasped and glared mutinously at the old woman, rubbing the back of his head. Apikaila simply kept smiling and promptly ignored him.

"Sorry to cut in, Mikaele," Apikaila said sweetly, "but I'm afraid I need to borrow Hina for a bit. I actually think she came here to see me in the first place. Isn't that right, my dear?" Hina's eyes widened. She'd nearly forgotten about actually speaking with Apikaila. She'd gotten caught up in the glee of the feast and making sure no one got suspicious of Tamatoa. But there was still work to be done while they were still in a safe place.

"Yes, right. Sorry, Chief, but I'm afraid I do have business I wished to discuss with Apikaila." Chief Mikaele nodded and waved a hand in friendly dismissal.

"Of course, of course. I'm sorry to have distracted you so long. Feel free to take something to eat with you." Hina smiled gratefully. She picked up a bowl of chicken and some baked coconut meat and got up to follow Apikaila away. Before leaving however, she quickly bent down and tapped Tamatoa on the shoulder. When he looked around, she leaned in to whisper into his ear. He instantly drew back at the invasion of his personal space. She held up a hand in an effort to calm him, and he just glared at her. Her cheeks burned slightly, but

"I just wanted to let you know I'm going to go talk to Apikaila. I'll be back shortly." Tamatoa's eyes widened for a moment, but he then covered it with a smirk. Hina gave him a pat and followed Apikaila away from the feast.

Tamatoa watched Hina leave, panic rising in his throat. She was leaving him alone with these people! He felt like he'd been doing fine so far, but without her there, he suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever. What if he said something to give him away? What if he _did_ something wrong? He quickly focused on eating, hoping he was done answering questions. Unfortunately, he ate a little too fast and promptly choked on his food. He coughed violently, pounding his chest. He swallowed hard, finally clearing his throat. When his eyes finally stopped watering, he noticed the chief's daughter and a few others staring at him. He bit his lip, but coughed again. He rubbed his throat, realizing it was actually dry and kind of sore.

"Are you alright?" Iulia asked. "Would you like something to drink? You must be thirsty." Tamatoa bit his lip, trying to think of what to say. He remembered Hina telling the people he hadn't had anything to drink along with nothing to eat. It hadn't occurred to him to keep that part of the story up. He'd never had to drink anything before; he was a crab. When he swallowed and winced at the pain, Iulia quickly grabbed something from the food mat in front of them and handed to them.

"Here, have some water." Tamatoa looked down. It was a simple wooden cup filled to the brim with clear water. He was unsure what to do. He'd heard that land animals needed fresh water to survive. It wasn't hard to imagine that this new body of his needed water as well. He was a little unsure of what to do though; eating, he totally got, but drinking? Tentatively, Tamatoa took a sip of the water. It slid, cool and wet into his mouth. It was a pleasant feeling and taste on tongue, not exactly flavorful but refreshing. He sipped some more until his mouth was full, then tentatively swallowed, since there was no point in chewing. The liquid soothed his sore throat, and he sighed. That was almost as pleasant as eating after starving for almost four days. He quickly gulped the rest of the water down.

"Would you like some more?" Iulia asked. "Or perhaps some coconut water?" Tamatoa raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Coconut...water?" Before he even had a chance to think if he'd known about the stuff, Iulia grabbed another cup from the mat and held it up to him. This time the cup had a white-tinted liquid sitting in it. Tamatoa gave it a tentative sniff, then took a sip.

The affect of tasting the liquid was a little too subtle to notice at first. He simply swirled the coconut water around in his mouth, taking his time to taste it. It was sweet, that was for sure. But then something else started to occur as well. The taste was somehow...familiar. But that couldn't be; he'd never tasted the stuff. Had he? Puzzled, Tamatoa took another sip. Some a strange sensation swirled in his brain as he tasted the sweet liquid. He closed his eyes.

 _Mmm...beaches...ocean...mountain...palms...salt air...sky...hey what...wait...no...drop...dropped it...pick it up...pick it up..._

Tamatoa swallowed and inhaled sharply, suddenly jerking back to reality. He blinked and shook his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose. At least that worked the way it used to, even if he didn't have a claw. When he finally got a hold of his breathing, he felt alright enough to open his eyes. He looked down at the coconut water, then promptly set it aside.

"Something wrong?" Iulia asked. Tamatoa bit back a snapping retort. Best not to act too weird.

"Just...not really my kind of drink." She nodded and instead refilled his water cup. As he sipped it, she suddenly smiled expectantly at him. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, nerves rumbling in his stomach. "What," he asked.

"I was just wondering, did you really get your leg bitten off by a shark?" she asked. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Tamatoa blinked and slowly looked around. A few of the people near them were listening in; apparently Iulia wasn't the only one with an interest in him. Tamatoa swallowed his water, a flush growing across his cheeks. He knew what Hina had told him to say; he'd given the gist of it already. Yet they wanted to know more? They were actually interested in what he had to say about himself? He looked down at the stump of his left leg, then caught a shadowy reflection of himself in his water. So they wanted to know his story. Well, it had been a little while since he'd really talked about himself. An excited bubble swelled in his stomach, and he found himself slowly smiling. Hina had told him to follow a story. But, that didn't mean he couldn't embellish a little.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It seemed to take forever, but Hina and Apikaila finally reached the medicine woman's house. It was a simple single-person fale, with a palm thatched roof and draped bark cloths acting as walls. The stone floor was covered in pigskin leathers, and elaborate designs and pictures bedecked the cloths on the inside. A large umu stove sat square in the middle of the single room. Drying plants and fruits hung from hooks on the support beam and from the low ceiling posts. A few torches stood in sconces at the four main support posts, glowing dimly with slowly dying light.

Apikaila sat on a skin on one side of the umu and gestured for Hina to sit opposite of her. Hina noticed there were still some lava rocks burning dully in the stove, so she tucked her food bowls close by in an effort to heat back up a bit. Apikaila stretched a bit, groaning as her old bones creaked, then fixed Hina with a pointed stare.

"So, the son of the reef has returned," the old woman said, without any pretense. Hina could feel the blood drain from her face. Her heart shuddered, and her throat grew tight. She inhaled deeply through her nostrils and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't know why she was so nervous; she was going to tell the elder the truth about Tamatoa eventually. Perhaps the fact that Apikaila had figured it out so easily meant someone else could figure it out too. If that was true, they might be in trouble. Hina breathed deeply, and put calm into her voice. It wasn't that hard; she trusted Apikaila completely.

"So, you recognized him?" she asked. Apikaila cackled squeakily, her eyes twinkling.

"Of course I did, dear girl," she chuckled. "I'm old, not blind. I saw his tattoo." She jerked a thumb at her own back. "A large coconut crab in red and black, with a golden spiral on its shell; I can't think of anyone else who has a tattoo like that. There's no mistaking it; that is Tamatoa." Hina sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hand.

"I guess I could have tried harder to cover it up. Do you think anyone else noticed?" Apikaila waved her hand dismissively.

"Nah, no one else here is old enough to remember that tattoo, let alone who it belonged to. And you're lucky for that too. He looks the same in every other way as well." Hina groaned.

"I know. I was still kind of hoping it wasn't true, that he was just turned human, but if you can be so sure, then there's no denying it." Apikaila nodded.

"Indeed. He hasn't been turned human; he's been turned back." Hina clenched her mouth, her brow curving upward in a pained grimace. Apikaila peered closely at her. "But he hasn't _returned_ , has he? His memories are still gone." Hina nodded. Her throat clenched even tighter, and she had to bite her fist to fight back the tears that suddenly threatened to show themselves again. She didn't want to appear weak, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold a breakdown back for long. Apikaila shook her head, tutting lightly.

"What on earth happened? Does it have something to do with why you're not wearing your necklace?" Hina nodded. She reached down and plucked the cloth from her belt. She unfolded the cloth and held her necklace up in the light of the torches. Apikaila narrowed her eyes and stared at the necklace. After a moment, the medicine woman drew back, drawing in a sharp breath.

"My, my," she hissed, "there's a curse on that necklace, isn't there?" Hina nodded. "And a nasty one at that. Who did this?" Hina wrapped the necklace back up and set it aside. She crossed her arms and felt frustration creep in.

"Take a guess," she growled. Apikaila seemed to think for a moment, then gasped and rolled her eyes.

"I'm guessing it's a certain father of eels we have to blame for this?" Hina nodded again, gritting her teeth. Though there was no judgment in Apikaila's face or voice, Hina was still embarrassed to have to admit her foolishness again.

"The short of it is that he tricked me and stole my necklace," she explained. "He hid it in Lalotai among his treasure hoard. I didn't realize until too late that he'd put a curse on it as well. And," she spat, curling her fingers into fists, "he laid in wait for me to take it too. We barely escaped Lalotai with our lives." Apikaila shook her head again, then frowned slightly.

"Why was Tamatoa with you?" she asked. Hina looked down, then took a piece of chicken and coconut and crammed them into her mouth. She chewed slowly, a blush slowly suffusing her cheeks.

"I ran into him. I helped him out of a tight spot and asked him to help me find Te Tunaroa's treasure hoard. I figured he would know the Realm of Monsters well enough to help me find it."

"How did you get him to agree to help you?" Hina shrugged.

"I simply mentioned there would be treasure. No doubt he also figured he'd try to get a hold of my necklace as well. Either way, he was able to help me." She paused, guilt filling her chest. The food tasted slightly bland against her dry tongue. "When we found the cave, I realized Tunaroa might have but a trap in place when I tried to take the necklace. I...I tricked Tamatoa into taking the necklace, to see if he would trigger the trap."

Apikaila blew out a harsh breath, then suddenly chuckled. Hina blushed deeper and averted her eyes in shame. The elder wagged a finger at her.

"You are a shrewd one, my dear," she cackled. "I imagine Tamatoa wasn't happy to find out he'd been double crossed before he'd managed to do the double cross." Hina shook her head.

"So now we're on the run from Te Tunaroa, he's cursed and so is my necklace." She then looked up, her heart fluttering slightly. "I was hoping you could help me. Do you think you could break this curse?" Apikaila crossed her arms and leaned back a bit, closing her eyes. She sat pensively for a few minutes, tapping a finger against her arm. Hina waited, patiently eating her dinner.

Finally, Apikaila opened her eyes and leveled her gaze back at Hina. She propped her elbow on her knee and stuck her chin on her palm, her face pensive.

"First question," she said. "Do you want me to break the curse on your necklace, or the one on Tamatoa?" Hina frowned.

"Um...the one on my necklace? That would break the curse it put on Tamatoa, right?" Her stomach burned when a thought occurred to her. "Unless...Unless this curse broke his original curse. Did it?" Apikaila shook her head.

"No, no, of course not. We already said his memories haven't returned, right?" Hina's shoulders involuntarily slumped, and she nodded. "Then his curse isn't broken. You can't break a curse with another curse, dear." Hina rubbed her mouth. She had already guessed that; it just felt heavier to hear it said out loud.

"I guess I was just hoping that maybe the physical part of his curse had been broken," she said softly, "and that his memories just needed to come back on their own." When she looked up, she saw pity etched deep into Apikaila's face. Hina wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Sorry dear, but I'm afraid it's not so simple as that. I think the best course of action would be to focus on Te Tunaroa's curse for now." She held out her tiny right hand. "So, let's take a look at that necklace of yours; see what we're dealing with." Hina nodded and brought up the folded bundle. Apikaila took it and unwrapped the cloth. Before Hina had realized what was about to happen, Apikaila picked up the necklace with her bare hand.

Panic flared in Hina's chest, and she frantically reached forward towards the elder.

"What are you doing!?" she shouted. "I told you it was cursed!" Apikaila chuckled and gave her a little wink.

"Relax, dear, it's alright. I'm human; this curse was meant for an immortal. It can do nothing to me." Hina hesitated, watching with bated breath. Indeed, a few seconds passed and nothing happened. There was no flash of yellow light, no loud bang. Apikaila was still there, turning the necklace over between her fingers. Eventually the tension seeped out of Hina's shoulders, and she sat back to wait, now and then taking another bite of food.

After a few minutes, Apikaila made a disappointed noise and finally set the necklace down. Hina quickly folded the cloth back over it and tucked it back into her belt. When she looked back up, deep concern was set into Apikaila's eyes. Hina's heart shuddered.

"What? What's wrong?" She leaned forward, eyes wide. "Can you break the curse?" Apikaila sighed heavily and shook her head.

"This is powerful magic—well of course it is, it's from a god. I'm afraid I can't do anything about it." Cold dread poured down Hina's throat, until Apikaila raised a finger in a "however" expression. "I may not be able to break it, but I do know who can." The dread warmed into hope, and a half smile tugged at Hina's cheeks.

"Who?" Apikaila gave her a bit of a grimace.

"You're not going to like it."

" _Who_?" The old woman turned a lava rock over on the umu so that its burning side glowed red.

"To break a curse like this, you'll need help from Te Pele. She knows the magic of the gods better than any, being a god herself."

Hina's hope shriveled and her heart sank. Not Te Pele; anyone but her! Hina tilted her head back and groaned, rubbing her eyes hard enough to drive spots into them. This was disastrous; the volcano goddess was infamous for being dangerously unpredictable—as her realm of rule would imply. She communed readily with mortals, but was so capricious that just saying something to her in the wrong tone or looking at her the wrong way could turn a gracious mood into a raging one. Sometimes she had been known to summon demigods or human heroes to embark on some kind of quest for her, only to turn on them and reduce them to ashes the moment they returned regardless of their success or failure. To her, humans were nothing more than playthings, tools to be used for her own amusement. Or, they could be things of an endearing nature, to be valued. It all depended on what mood she was in that day.

Apikaila gave her an amused smile.

"Sorry dear, but if you want to get rid of this curse, you'll need a goddess with magic skill. Pele's is the most honed of the gods'."

"But she's _so_ unpredictable!" Hina groaned. "Who knows if she'll even help us? She could just decide to melt us on sight, or she could tell us a way to break the curse, only for us to find out it just makes things worse!" She raised her hands over her head. "She could even rat us out to Te Tunaroa!" Apikaila snorted and waved the concern away.

"That, I can assure you, won't be a problem. Pele has no love for Tunaroa; she wouldn't help him gain the satisfaction of getting a hold of you." She chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "In fact, that might be motivation alone for her to help you. Just hearing that the curse is Tunaroa's might make her affable." Hina put her face in her heads. This whole thing was wearing her thin. So many places to go, so many things to do. For perhaps the third time Hina found herself wondering if Tunaroa had done all this for the sole purpose of making her run around in pointless circles. Sure, there could be a different, more sinister motive behind his actions, but she didn't doubt he'd get a chuckle just from the trouble solving the puzzle was giving her. What a great joke if he simply left the curse on for a short while to make her sweat, then released it right when everything was at its bleakest. Hina cursed the day she'd ever heard the name Te Tunaroa.

Eventually, Hina ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, then looked steadily back up at the elder.

"Well, how do I get to Te Pele's island?" Hina asked. Apikaila raised her eyebrows. "What? If that's the key to cleaning up this mess, I might as well go for it." Apikaila smiled.

"Alright then. Well, Te Pele's home isn't easy to get to. You have to go about it in a very specific way." She turned over a few more lava rocks, releasing a huge cloud of steam. She tossed a few crumbs of something from the pouch at her belt, and the steam grew thicker. Hina coughed and covered her face with her arm. Some of the stem sucked up into her nostrils and she sneezed.

When Hina opened her watering eyes, she wasn't sitting in Apikaila's fale anymore. In fact, she wasn't sitting anywhere. She seemed to have turned into a disembodied pair of eyes. As these eyes, she found herself staring at the sun—somehow not burning—sitting low under the horizon. Apikaila's voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

"Only the most determined, tenacious traveler can find their way to Te Pele," the medicine woman said. "But for you, it might be a bit easier. First, you must sail with the sun, following it from rise to set. Once the sun has fallen below the horizon, keep sailing in that direction until the moon rises behind you." Hina watched the sun set into the sea, and the world spun around to show her the moon rising. "When you are beneath the moon, it's up to you to tell the moon where you wish to go; the moon will know where to take you." Hina followed the moon as it moved through the star painted sky. This task didn't seem too hard. She knew the moon would listen to her if she asked it to take her somewhere. As if reading her thoughts, Apikaila's voice broke like a thunderclap across her mind. "There is one thing you must remember though, as you ride the moon's light. You must never, _ever_ , let your mind wander. The moon must be sure you are intent and worthy. If it thinks your resolve is faltering, even once, it will drop you off its path and you'll be lost in the middle of the ocean." The moon whipped away, and suddenly she was plummeting out of the sky towards the water/ There was nothing she could do to stop. The dark water grew closer, closer, closer...

Hina gasped as she was thrown back into the fale. She fell forward a bit, as though the momentum of the vision had been real. She took several deep breaths to shake the stupor off, then gazed up at Apikaila. The medicine woman watched her calmly, her chin resting in her palm.

"Get the point?" she asked. Hina nodded. The point hadn't just been made; it had been branded into her. This wasn't going to be easy, but she had no choice.

"We'll have to leave the day after tomorrow. I need to gather enough supplies to last the journey, and extra in case anything goes wrong." She counted on her fingers, thinking hard on the task unfolding before her. "I'll need some weapons too, in the event we run into a threat. And, I need to make a prosthetic leg for Tamatoa. I can't be lugging him around the whole time." When she didn't hear a reply, Hina looked back up at Apikaila. The old woman was regarding her with some kind of emotion, though she couldn't quite tell what it was. "What?" Hina asked. Apikaila tapped a finger to her cheek.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Hina blinked, then creased her brow, still a little confused.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, this will be a serious undertaking, but it has to be done. I understand that." Apikaila shook her head, her face pensive.

"Not about the mission. I take it that you haven't told Tamatoa the truth about what he's been turned into?" Hina balked. Her mouth dried, and for a moment she had trouble speaking. She breathed deeply again and closed her eyes for a moment. A huge wave of self-loathing crashed over her. How was it that Apikaila could read her so easily. She'd said nothing about her promise to Tamatoa, yet the elder had plucked it right out of her mind—seemingly. Hina was still wreslting with any kind of ultimate decision, but she was resolute on keeping her first promise. She was a woman of her word no matter what. It wasn't what she wanted, but it wasn't about her. At least, in this regard.

"I can't tell him if he doesn't remember who he is," she said, her voice tight. "He either won't believe me, or...or..."

"Or he'll feel that you betrayed him," she said lightly. Hina winced and her heart twisted at the truth in the words.

"He won't believe me," she said again, "that's all. I made him a promise to return him to Lalotai after we break the curse on my necklace, and that's what I intend to do." Hina decided she'd spent enough time feeling bad and wrestling with her motives. She knew what she had to do, and she had a plan. That was all she needed; what she didn't need was a guilt trip about potentially poor choices. Hina stood up.

"Thank you for your help, Apikaila," she said, inclining her head politely. "My path is much clearer now. I'll bid you good night now; perhaps we'll speak more tomorrow." She turned to leave, but paused with her hand on the fale's entrance cloth. Something was piercing the back of her skull like a dull blade. She looked around, and saw Apikaila staring at her. Despite the seemingly blank expression, her amber eyes bored into Hina. Their depths stripped her of her clothes and flesh until she was bare to the bone, then went deeper, right to her very soul. They reached in and scooped her soul right out and held it in front of her to see.

Hina blinked and shook her head. Apikaila gently smiled at her.

"Have a good night, my dear," the elder said. "Just remember; actions speak louder than words." Hina half-smiled, and left the fale. As she walked down the hill back towards the feast, the weight of her decisions draped itself over her shoulders. It was unlikely she would be able to get rid of it any time soon.

The sound of laughter reached Hina's ears before the gathering actually came into view. She wondered how close the feast was to ending if the people were still entertaining each other. It was quite late; both she and Tamatoa could use some rest. Hina approached the mat near where the chief sat, only to find that Mikaele and Ioane were gone. In fact, most of the villagers were gone, apparently retired for the evening. All that was left was a small group of the young women and a few young men of the village. They were all congregated around Tamatoa, their eyes wide and their attention rapt. Tamatoa himself was talking loudly and animated, every once in a while waving his arms in some flamboyant gesture. Hina groaned and dragged a hand down her face. Why wasn't she surprised? She moved closer and finally came close enough to hear what Tamatoa was saying.

"...but I told her to leave me there. I was all, 'No, don't risk yourself for me! Save yourself!" Because, you know, it wouldn't have been right to drag her into my mess." A few of the young women sighed in admiration. The young men exchanged impressed looks. Tamatoa smirked. "So I faced that shark, treading water among the wreckage of my boat. The monster circled, looking for an opening to attack me. Of course, I didn't give him an easy one."

"How could you defend yourself with your leg bitten off?" asked Iulia. Tamatoa gave her a wink. Hina was sure the girl would swoon.

"The beast thought it was being clever, but its movements were predictable. I could tell which way it was going to strike without any problem."

"So what did you do?" asked a boy. Tamatoa shrugged, smiling smugly.

"Simple; the swish of his tail told me exactly where to punch. Boom!" He punched the air with a right hook. The assembled crowd gasped, and the girls giggled. Hina rubbed her eyes, sighing. "Right in the eye! The poor thing was knocked silly; didn't even turn itself back over. He sank like a stone!" There were more excited and admiring gasps. The girls' eyes were moony, as were the boys' to a degree. With his story seemingly finished, Hina sidled up behind Tamatoa and cleared her throat. He looked back and caught sight of her. The smugness in his face leaked out a bit, but he quickly fixed a confident half-smile on top of it.

"Well hey there, babe," he said cheerily. "I was just telling these kids about our little adventure with that shark." The group of admirers gave her affirming nods. Hina put her hands on her hips, her eyebrow raised. She almost wanted to laugh, but decided it would be better to be the more mature adult.

"Were you?" she said. "Did you mention the part where you gave up on life and nearly drowned yourself?" This time Tamatoa's smile pretty much dropped straight from his face. He coughed and cleared his throat, and quickly faced the confused faces of his admirers.

"Well, um, ahem, you have to understand," he said, suddenly kind of awkward. This time Hina had to cover her mouth to hide her smile. "I was bleeding pretty badly, and I'd just fought off a huge shark. And, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for a while. I was pretty tuckered out."

"He sank like a stone," Hina offered, a grin spreading across her face. "To use your own words. I had to yank him out." She crossed her arms, waiting for Tamatoa to contradict her side of the story. Lucky for her, he had the sense to not try to deny what she said. He shrugged, an embarrased smile forced onto his mouth.

"Well...after such an ordeal, yeah, I was too tired to keep myself afloat. Can you really blame me for that?" He gave the young villagers a raised eyebrow. They quickly lost their doubtful frowns and gave him understanding smiles. Hina rolled her eyes, then cleared her throat.

"Well, it's been fun, but I think it's time we both got some rest," she said. She nodded at the villagers. "You all should get off to bed too." Hina held a hand down to Tamatoa. "Come on now. There's a spare hut in the back of the village." Tamatoa's eyes widened.

"Wait...we're going to sleep in the same hut?" he asked. Hina nearly laughed at the choke in his voice, but she ended up frowning at the puzzled villagers.

"Oh don't flatter yourself. I don't sleep inside; the spare hut is for you." A few of the girls and even some of the boys made disappointed noises.

"Wouldn't you like to stay with one of us?" Iulia asked. "I'm sure our families would be happy to welcome you in." The young villagers clambered to volunteer their own huts. Tamatoa actually backed away a little bit, grimacing a bit. Evidently he wasn't so keen on gaining attention that he'd actually a lot any time to being in too close proximity with the young humans. Hina chuckled and once again held her arm out. Tamatoa quickly grabbed it and allowed her to pull him to his foot. He even slung his arm over her shoulders himself. Hina gave him a knowing half-smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality, kids," she said, inclining her head. "I'm sure Taua was thankful for the company. Right?" Tamatoa narrowed his eyes, then flung a winning smile at the villagers.

"Thanks for listening," he said, "always nice to have an engaged audience." He winked, and the girls sighed again. A few of them even fanned themselves. One of the young men stood up, his expression anxious.

"Would you like any help?" he asked. Hina smiled and shook her head.

"No thank you, we're good. You all go home now." The villagers reluctantly dispersed, looking crestfallen at being forced to abandon the new object of their esteem.

Tamatoa nearly found himself nodding off as Hina led him through the village. It wasn't a large one; maybe two dozen dwellings not counting a large meeting fale in the center. Crops and groves stood to the far west side of the village, and a small fleet of boats sat moored in a lagoon through a large overhanging cliff to the east. Tamatoa barely took any of it in; after sating his hunger and thirst, exhaustion was finally setting in. He'd only avoided passing out at the feast by bragging about himself to those impressionable humans. True, he'd mostly spun a bunch of untruthful fantasies, but what was the harm? Hina hadn't been truthful about how they'd met; no reason he couldn't add a few details of his own. No reason these humble folks shouldn't think highly of him, even if he was less than a shadow of himself at the moment. It was better than letting them think he was foolish enough to just lose his way at sea.

Tamatoa yawned loudly, and his eyelids drooped. He wished he could just plunk down where he stood, but Hina pulled him resolutely on.

"Any chance you could carry me the rest of the way?" he asked, another yawn taking hold. Hina snorted.

"I'm already carrying you," she said flatly. Tamatoa grimaced.

"But I'm _so_ tired," he groaned. "I haven't slept in days. I'm about to fall over." Hina tugged him harder, and he nearly did fall over.

"We're almost there," she said. "And I won't be carrying you much longer. First thing tomorrow I'll make you a replacement for your leg." Tamatoa didn't want to own up to the twinge of grattitute that flickered in his gut. It was pretty degrading to have to rely on someone for something as simple as walking. It hadn't been much of a big deal when Maui had taken his leg; more of an insult to his pride if anything. But going from several legs to just one; it was too humbling. Gaining some independence back would be a nice step in the right direction. Tamatoa quickly quashed the gratitude blooming within. He had no reason to be grateful to Hina; it was her fault he was in this mess at all. No matter what she did to make things easier, she was still responsible.

Yet, for some reason, he was slowly starting to lose some of that grudge towards her. Try as might, he couldn't shake the growing sense of...well it was something other than anger. She'd promised to right the wrong she'd done. She'd saved his life twice, she'd taken him to a safe place; she hadn't left him behind. She'd even offered him hints on how to fit in with humans. If he was honest with himself, if he'd been in her position at the time, he would have tricked her into revealing any sort of trap too. He probably would have left her there. So why would she act so generously? Was it just out of shame? Maybe her own pride didn't let her leave a mistake as it was? Was it pity? Maybe he presented such a pathetic sight as a human she couldn't help but feel sorry enough to aide him. Or...maybe it was something else. There was something in the way she talked to him, how she'd offered covert advice to him in keeping their cover around the people of the village. Somehow, he could tell that she didn't despise him, at least not in the way someone in her position should.

"Well, here we are," Hina said. Tamatoa jerked, suddenly aware. He seemed to have actually dozed off this time, just not enough to stop walking. He looked up. The hut was simple, wooden walls lined with grass and a thatched roof built to make a small square fit for one person. A three layer sleeping mat lay against the back wall, and a small umu stove sat in the center of the floor. There weren't any skins covering the stone floor, and the doorway was open and empty. Not knowing the standard for human dwellings, Tamatoa simply nodded.

"Cozy," he said, "I guess."

"Trust me, it's nice for an outsider. The people of the islands haven't traveled in a thousand years; it's amazing the people of Niue bothered to keep a spare hut up for generations. You're being given quite the honor, you know." Tamatoa rolled his eyes.

"More like I honor them by staying here," he muttered. Hina chuckled.

"So hostile; and here I thought you were making friends here." Tamatoa let out a bark of laughter.

"Making myself look good to our hosts hardly constitutes as making friends, babe," he simpered. He felt a smug smile creep over his face. "A fanciful retelling of events and they're falling over themselves to be hospitable. A thousand years of isolation sure does wonders for peoples' naivete. Something in Hina's answering sigh told him she didn't believe his sentiment.

Hina led Tamatoa inside the hut and helped him down onto the sleeping mat. It felt just soft enough that he could see himself getting to sleep with relative ease. Though he'd have to figure out exactly how to sleep in this new upright body. As he contemplated how to best lie down, Hina gave him a gentle pat on the arm. He looked up at her, surprised, only to see her leaving the hut. As if sensing his attention was back on her, Hina turned, her hand on the doorway. Even in the gloom of the dark hut, her green eyes stood out like stars against the silhouette of her face. Indeed, they were all he could see of her features.

"If you need anything, just call. If I don't hear you, someone else will. The people here will be happy to see to any need." He watched, suddenly fascinated, as her white teeth showed in a gentle smile. "Get some rest; we've both had a long, long day." Something in her voice sank into his ears. She sounded so genuine, yet there was something under her words, an unspoken thought. He couldn't tell what it was, but he could be sure it wasn't pity or resentment. She was regarding him with something he could swear resembled affection. Tamatoa blinked. He couldn't think of anything to say. Her smile was too honest to warrant a snarky rebuttal. He merely nodded. Hina turned and exited the hut.

Tamatoa watched Hina disappear into the blue night. He realized he'd had a question for her, but had been too wrapped up in the glow of her eyes. What an odd sensation; to be so drawn into someone's feature as to forget a simple thought. Only when she was gone did he remember he'd wanted to ask her where she was going to sleep. Odd, since such a question wasn't actually of any consequence to him. He shook his head, frowning in confusion. He set to finding a position to sleep in instead. Since he couldn't fold his legs under him and plunk his head down on his claws, he figured he could use the closest position. Carefully, Tamatoa settled onto his stomach on the map, folding his arms under his head and laying it to the side. His eyes instantly began to close. As he drifted off, some words formed on his lips. He wasn't sure if he was actually saying them, or if he was already starting to dream.

"Thanks."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A harsh shaft of sunlight jabbed Tamatoa in the face, rousing him from his deep sleep. He rolled over onto his back and stretched, relishing in the oddly sweet sensation of flexing his muscles. He was the most comfortable he'd been in a while, possibly even more than he'd been before the curse. He'd slept amazing, not a single nightmare to be had. That was something he'd never taken time to dwell on that until now; he had nightmares almost every night for as long as he could remember. They were hard to recall, but they always had one thing in common. No matter what happened, there was always lightening. That was what stood out the most. Every morning he'd wake up with the imprint of lightening on his eyes. But not today. Today, he was so well rested, not a troubled thought in his head.

A knock at the doorway jerked Tamatoa out of his slow waking. He looked towards the entrance to the hut. The chief's young daughter, Iulia, stood outside the hut. She gave him a small wave, grinning broadly. Tamatoa clapped his hands over his eyes, stifling a groan. This girl was unbearable. She'd clung to him like a barnacle all the previous night, hanging on his every word, never taking her eyes off of him. Tamatoa had always liked attention, but this was just ridiculous. He hoped to the gods that he wouldn't have to stand her clingy company all day.

Tamatoa sat up, sighing. Well, he couldn't go anywhere at the moment; he'd just have to deal for now. He looked up and put on his best smile.

"Well, good morning, little cher," he said. The girl flushed and smiled shyly.  
"Good morning," she squeaked. "I brought you some breakfast." She held a bowl out in front of her. From where he was sitting, the food looked liked a grayish mash with yellow clumps in it. "It's stewed coconut meat with bits of banana," she said, "fresh off the stove." The aroma reached Tamatoa's nose a little bit after she held the food up. It smelled appetizing enough. Tamatoa braced his hands and foot against the mat and started to scoot himself along the floor towards the entrance. Iulia gasped in alarm and quickly approached him. "Would you like some help standing?" Tamatoa shook his head and waved her away. It was all he could do not to growl at her. It had been hard enough accepting help from Hina; he wasn't about to ask for help from this slip of a girl. To save face, he gave her another small smile.

"No thank you, darling. I think I'll enjoy a seat here in the doorway." When he finally hauled himself into the doorway, he swung his leg around to let it dangle over the stoop. Comfortable, he held out a hand for the bowl. "But thanks for the offer, and for the food." When the bowl didn't land in his hand, he turned around. Iulia seemed to be frozen, staring at him with blatant rapture. He cleared his throat. She snapped out of her trance and quickly handed over the bowl, her face a deep red. Tamatoa gave her a wink. "You're a peach, babe." Iulia's eyes widened to perfect circles, and for a moment it looked like she was going to faint. Tamatoa wondered if it might behoove him to turn his charm down a trifle—though he hadn't thought he'd been trying that hard.

"W-Would you like some water?" Iulia stammered. Eager to be relieved of her company for a moment, Tamatoa grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Iulia hastily edged past him and hurried from the hut. Tamatoa raised a hand as a thought crossed his mind. "And could you find Miss Hina for me? I'm awaiting a new leg from her." Iulia nearly tripped over a root as she turned to acknowledge his call. When she disappeared into the bustling village, Tamatoa heaved a sigh of relief. "What a little remora," he muttered. "Next moment she'll be picking scraps out of my teeth." He scooped a bit of the coconut-banana mash into his mouth, smiling at the sweetness that bloomed on his tongue.

"You wish." Tamatoa nearly inhaled his food. The voice came from somewhere behind the hut. Tamatoa looked around and caught sight of Hina leaning against the corner of the hut. She regarded him with cool amusement, a small smile curling her lips. For a moment, Tamatoa found himself frozen under her gaze. A heat spread across his cheeks and his gut burned. What was wrong with him? She was just smiling at him. Smiling in a very familiar, very friendly way. Why did he get the feeling he'd been given that smile before? Tamatoa quickly looked away from her face and onto the bundle in her arms. She was holding some strips of animal skin, a long piece of polished wood, and two halves of a hollowed out coconut. That was a talking point.

"What have you got there, Madame Moon?" he asked. Hina walked over and plopped herself down in the grass in front of the hut.

"This is what I'm going to use to make you a new leg," she said. She pulled a whittling knife out of the bundle of odds and ends, and settled with the wood on her knee. She set to carving, resting her back against the hut. After a moment, she looked back and caught his eye. "Please, don't mind me. Go on and eat your breakfast." Tamatoa flushed again and looked way, mortified that he'd been caught staring again. He didn't even bother to be annoyed at her comment. He quickly dug into the coconut-banana mash and tried to think of something to talk about.

"So...did you find out...how to break the curse?" he asked between bites. Hina stopped her carving, the hand holding the knife tightening its grip. Tamatoa frowned. "What?" Hina sighed and looked back at him. Her expression was intense.

"Apikaila can't break the curse. We have to go to Te Pele." Once again, Tamatoa nearly choked on his food. He stared at her, mouth agape.

"What? Te Pele?! Are you insane? She'd burn us alive!" He shook his head, utterly befuddled. "No, that lady must be insane. No human would knowingly suggest asking help from Te Pele." Hina glared at him and slapped his shin. "Ow!"

"Apikaila is wise. If she says we must ask Te Pele to break the curse, that's what we must do." Tamatoa opened his mouth to argue, but her expression was too poisonous; she wasn't going to hear any argument. He clamped his mouth shut and met her gaze steadily, eyes narrowed. Hina nodded stiffly. "We'll have to leave before dawn tomorrow, so we can sail with the sun. Then we'll sail on moonlight from there." She turned back to her work, her knife strokes against the wood a little angrier than before. "After I'm done with your leg, I'll gather the supplies we need. Is there any kind of weapon you prefer?" Tamatoa blinked; he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.

"What kind of...what?" Hina turned back to him, her face now unreadable.

"What kind of weapon would you prefer? I'm going to ask to borrow some weapons so we're not defenseless during the journey. Do you like heavy defense or something lighter?" Tamatoa stared at her, his mind a total blank. Him, use weapons? He'd never needed a weapon to fight before; of course not, he was a giant crab. His claws were weapons by themselves; they did the job fine. But now...he was tiny, squishy, and vulnerable. He honestly didn't have the slightest idea how he could defend himself now, without armor, with weak limbs. His guts twisted. Getting a new leg wasn't going to be enough to stop him from being a burden during this mission. If he wanted to keep himself from getting killed without totally relying on Hina, he would have to actually be useful. To do that, he would have to be honest with her. Somehow, he felt doing so would be a bit easier now, but he still reflexively flinched away from it.

"I...I don't know what kind of weapon I'd use. I've only ever used these." He held up his hands and made clamping motions, like mock claws. "And these." He bared his teeth and pointed to them too. Hina's cheek twitched as a shadow of a smile crossed her face. The little show of near amusement was encouraging. Tamatoa leaned in, eyebrow raised. "I don't know about you, but I think if I try to use these to fight anything, I'm liable to break something, and it wouldn't be anything on the enemy." He raised his hands in a shrug. "C'est la vie; the price of not having an exoskeleton." Hina covered her mouth to hide her smile this time. Tamatoa swallowed a giggle of his own at the sight of his success.

"Well, I'll figure something out for you," Hina said. She turned once again to continue her work on the wooden leg. Tamatoa sat back and finished his breakfast, satisfied that he'd diffused the tension between them.

Only then did he find himself wondering why he had bothered to care.

Hina worked diligently for the next couple of hours on fashioning Tamatoa's wooden leg. She took great care when carving the wood that would make up most of the peg. There wasn't enough to give it a proper foot, but she gave it the curves of and ankle and a calf. The bottom was flared a bit, so it had more surface area for balance. Once the wooden part was done, she set to work on the socket for his knee. Tamatoa alternated between chatting idly and sitting in silence. She only partially participated in the conversation when it cropped up, as she wanted to concentrate on the prosthetic. The sooner he was up and walking, the sooner she could get to gathering their supplies.

But she didn't seek out a more private place to work. One reason was once again to save on time; he could try it on a soon as she was done. But the other reason was that she actually wanted his company. Even if they had started out on unfriendly terms, Hina was already fond of the great collector. Sordid past notwithstanding, his slightly conceited charm had grown on her. And she could see that he was starting to actually open up to her, though he probably wouldn't admit it. Maybe eventually he would feel comfortable enough to drop the reliance on his cocky self-absorption and sarcasm. She could see he had the capacity for more.

 _And yet you won't tell him the truth_...The thought kept nagging at her. Apikaila's words from the previous night had plagued her dreams. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch. No matter how she wanted Tamatoa to get used to her, to see her as someone other than the person who'd gotten him cursed, she knew something small and vital was missing. It was hard to tell what, since everything about him seemed to be the same. Hina shook her head, and pushed the doubt down. She didn't care what Apikaila said; she was sure that Tamatoa's memories could come back on their own. His body had come back, so why not his mind? If she was patient enough, it could happen on its own. Maybe she could make it happen. She'd made a promise to him, but maybe she wouldn't have to keep it. She just had to be patient.

Hina finished sewing the pigskin padding into the coconut shell and tugged the threads tight. She then bound the two shells together, one on top of the other, to make a replacement knee joint. She carved a hole out of the bottom coconut and thickened it with more leather so it fit snugly around the head of the wooden leg. She even lined the hole with tree gum to help it stick to the wood. Hopefully the pressure from being stood on would keep the whole thing together. As a finishing touch, she wrapped some bark cloth around the wood for extra protection.

Hina stood up held the prosthetic up, admiring her work. It looked practical, nothing fancy. She was confident it would do the trick. She turned held the prosthetic up in front of Tamatoa.

"All done," she said, "what do you think?" Tamatoa eyed the wooden leg, his eyes narrowed. He pointed suspiciously.

"You really think that tiny little thing will hold me up?" he asked. Hina snorted.

"Oh don't be silly, you're not that big." She knelt down in front of him and held a hand out. "Come on, let's try this on. Hold out your leg." Tamatoa obeyed, his mouth pinched up skeptically. Hina gently held the back of his knee and slipped the prosthetic socket over it. After a bit of wiggling and using her strength to adjust the fit of the socket, she finally got it to fit snugly enough so it wouldn't move too much or fall off. "Alright, let's test it." Hina stood up and held out her hands. Tamatoa visibly swallowed, took a breath, and reached up to take her hands. Hina nearly gasped when she realized he was trembling slightly. She saw him bite his lip, and he cast his eyes down. Sympathy pierced Hina's heart. It hadn't occurred to her that he might be nervous about walking. Maybe it was the fact that he'd gone from ten legs to one, and now to two. He probably didn't have the first idea how to approach a conundrum like bipedal walking.

Hina hesitated, then gave his hands a squeeze. Tamatoa looked up at her, a questioning frown on his brow.

"Don't worry," she said, her voice reflexively softening. "I'm right here. I won't let you fall." Tamatoa's eyes widened and his mouth slackened open in surprise. She gave him an encouraging smile and tugged gently at his hands. "Come on. No harm in trying, right?" He stared at her for a moment, then clenched his jaw and nodded stiffly. Hina stepped back and pulled him upright. She was lucky she'd eyeballed the length of his leg correctly; one or two inches off and he would have been lopsided. Tamatoa wobbled a little, but Hina kept her grip on him firm. She placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Tamatoa's wobbling slowed to swaying, and then he finally stood still. Hina smiled.

"How does that feel?" she asked. He shrugged.

"It's better than slouching on top of you," he said. Indeed, it looked better. Standing straight, Tamatoa towered a full head and a half above her. He truly was a sight in his bulk, despite the softness at this jaw and middle. Tamatoa blew out a breath, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Alright, now what?" Hina jerked a bit, realizing she'd been staring. She quickly took her hands off and away from him and took a step back. She dragged her eyes away and nodded in a general forward direction.

"How about you try walking?" she suggested. A flash of panic crossed his face, but he quickly covered it up with a smirk.

"Heh, right. No problem. Hard part's over, no?" Tamatoa leaned forward a bit, then twitched in hesitation. He leaned slightly to the right, then frowned and tried leaning to the left. His hands came up to reinforce his balance. Hina sighed and waved to get his attention.

"Relax, it's not as hard as you think it is." Tamatoa opened his mouth to refute, but she continued through him. "I know you know how this works; just don't think about it too hard." She raised her foot slowly, gesturing to it. "Watch for a moment. One foot in front of the other." She took a few steps forward, then turned around. "See? Now try." She pointed to a tree half yard away. Tamatoa raised an eyebrow, but inhaled deeply and nodded. He mimicked her and slowly raised his right foot. He couldn't raise it very high because the balance of the peg leg wouldn't allow it. After a wobble he took a jerky step forward. He lifted the prosthetic and brought it up next to his real foot, bringing his stance level again. He continued forward towards the tree. Hina crossed her arms and nodded approvingly. After a bit of a shaky start, Tamatoa seemed to find a rhythm he was comfortable with. Thanks to the even length of the prosthetic, he only had the slightest of limps. This was inevitable; the peg leg simply couldn't be as flexible as a real limb. But it did its job well as it could. Hina was pleased.

Once Tamatoa reached the tree, he planted one hand on the trunk. He was a little surprised that taking his first steps as a human hadn't been as hard as he'd thought. He'd fully expected to stumble at least once. But not only did the wooden leg hold him up just as well as his own leg, but he fell into the bipedal stride with unexpected ease. It was almost as if he'd done this before; he just needed to be reminded of it. That of course was impossible, but it was a feeling he couldn't deny. Since it was a good feeling, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he gave the tree a slap and turned to smirk at Hina. He raised a fist into the air.

"How about that? Perfect on the first try; of course that shouldn't surprise anyone, eh? I excel at pretty much anything I do." From her spot by the hut, Hina laughed and gave a slow clap.

"Very good indeed," she said, "although I''m pretty sure half of the success comes from my prowess at carving." Tamatoa couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh please, you could've made this out of a block of driftwood and I'd be fine," he said haughtily. Hina approached with an eyebrow raised.

"Can you stand there and honestly say that?" she asked. Tamatoa shifted his weight, suddenly cowed by her stare. Why did she have to look at him like that? He was just bragging; it was what he did. But judging by the look on her face, Hina seemed to have expected more. He shifted his weight thinking on it. He felt the pressure of the prosthetic. It really was a fine piece of work. He wasn't lopsided, and it held his weight without any creaking from the wood at all. He felt stable enough to stand astride a rocking boat. He had a doubt that anyone else could have done a better job. Something clicked in his brain.

 _Oh..._

"Well..no," he said, feeling embarrassed. He looked down at his foot, then at his new wooden leg. I kicked himself for not seeing this before. "So, thank you, Hina. It's perfect for me. Thanks." When Tamatoa looked up again, Hina was grinning. An oddly light feeling settled into his chest. This was the second time he'd thanked someone in the last twelve hours. Only this time, it didn't feel uncomfortable. Odd. He decided to make an attempt to even himself out.

"Seems like you have some experience in making new limbs for people," he said, giving her a sideways look. Hina actually snorted and burst into laughter. She doubled over for a moment, trembling all over, then straightened up with tears in her eyes.

"I make you a perfect prosthetic and _that_ 's the first thing that comes to mind?" she asked breathlessly.

"It wasn't the first thing," Tamatoa replied, a little indignant. "I just take it this isn't the first time you've made one of these." He lifted his leg and gave his prosthetic a little shake. Hina giggled a tiny bit.

"I know, I know. I've just never been called out on it before. Is it that obvious?" she asked. Tamatoa merely gave her a raise of the eyebrows. She laughed again. "Yes, I have experience with making prosthetic limbs. Unfortunately, my healing powers aren't perfect. I can save you from death, but I can't bring lost body parts back. It's something I've never understood." She shrugged. "So, I decided if I can't save someone's lost limb with magic, I could at least leave them better than they would be with nothing." She tilted her head as she looked over the prosthetic. "I have to say though, this is probably one of my best pieces. You've motivated me like no one else has before." Her eyes lingered on the prosthetic, then slowly moved up his frame. A little too slowly. The light feeling in Tamatoa's chest condensed into a heavy burning feeling. For some reason, he found himself holding his breath. When her eyes reached the necklace resting on her chest, a sort of light came back on in Hina's eyes. She blinked, then a shudder passed through her and she shook herself. She cleared her throat and shook her head back and forth.

"Sorry, I was somewhere else entirely," she said. Something in her tone told Tamatoa that that might not have been honest. He couldn't be sure though. Deciding to not acknowledge whatever it was that just happened, Tamatoa put his hands on his hips and gave his hair a toss.

"So what now?" he asked. Hina inhaled deeply and clapped her hands together.

"Right. Now we need to get our supplies together; food and water, maybe some sleeping mats. We could use some medicines and bandage clothes. We'll need some weapons too. Would you like to come pick something out? Maybe looking would help you figure out what you like."

Relieved they could return to their task, Tamatoa began to reply to her question. Before he got a word out, however, an undignified high pitched squeal rang out from a few yards away. Tamatoa and Hina both whipped around to see a congregation of teenage girls and young women standing to their left. At the front of the group was Iulia, a frantically delighted look on her face. Tamatoa nearly groaned.

"Oh no," he growled through his teeth. Hina pulled her lips in, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. Before Tamatoa had a chance to throw a glare at her, the girls had already closed the distance between themselves and him. He forced a smile onto his face, feeling his left cheek twitch.

"He..ahem...hello ladies," he said, nearly choking on his words. Iulia's eyes were sparkling.

"You're walking!" she exclaimed. Her eyes flicked down to his wooden leg, then over to Hina. "Did you make that for him, Hina?" Hina crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

"That's right. Finished it just a few minutes ago." The girls ooh-ed in admiration. They then promptly turned their attention back to Tamatoa. He almost flinched at the intense eagerness in their stares.

"Well now that you're up and about," Iulia said, wringing her hands slightly. "We were wondering if you would like a tour of our village?" The women and girls nodded enthusiastically. Tamatoa gulped and glanced over at Hina. Once again, she was trying hard not to laugh.

"Um, that's awfully nice of you, ladies," he said slowly. He took a half a step back. "But we have to get supplies together for when we leave tomorrow." Some of the group made noises of disappointment, but Iulia didn't look discouraged at all.

"Hina can take care of that," she said. "Besides, you said you've lived alone your whole life. You deserve to see how a real village works." The group all voiced their agreement, a few letting out excited giggles. Tamatoa's face ached from trying to keep his smile in place. Hina was turning red from her laughter in. Iulia's eyes grew wide. "Please?" she asked. The other girls and women fixed him with the same wide-eyed pleading stare. Tamatoa was totally lost. He looked over at Hina, but she gave him no help at all. He swallowed a bitter curse. If he was honest, he'd offend the people of the island, possibly even the chief. But if he said yes, he'd be forced to spend more time with these rapturous women and girls. Not too long ago the only one he'd avoid offending was himself. But Hina had insisted the best way to safely ask for shelter from these people. Obviously he'd poured on the charm a little too thick the previous night; again, not something his would have worried about in the recent past.

Tamatoa inhaled deeply and sighed with another forced smile.

"Well, I guess, if Hina doesn't need my help..." He trailed off, giving Hina a chance to rescue him. She did no such thing.

"Nah, you go ahead," she said, waving the air with a sly smile. "have fun. I'll take care of the supplies. Niue is one of the gods' most beautiful creations; you deserve to see it while we're here." She gave him wink that both infuriated and amused him. "I'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Cold ice fell into Tamatoa's stomach; did she really expect him to be gone that long? But he glanced at the sky and soon saw that the sun had already began its decent towards the horizon. Making his wooden leg had taken longer than he'd thought—plus he'd slept in half the morning. He sighed.

"Alright, show me around, ladies." He flashed a wide smile for show. Since he'd dug his own hole, he might as well make himself comfortable. The girls squealed a note that left his ears ringing. Iulia and another girl seized his wrists and yanked him none-too-gently in the direction of the beach. Tamatoa threw one more glance back at Hina as he was dragged away. She raised her hand in a wave, grinning like a fool from ear-to-ear. The annoyed grimace he tossed her slowly morphed, and he found himself smiling again. This time, however, it was genuine.

Hina spent the next few hours preparing for the trip to Te Pele. She checked Irawaru to make sure it was still seaworthy, and took it over to moor on a more eastern side of the island. From there she visited several different members of the village and island for supplies. She got fruit and yams from the stores, fresh water from the falls, and sleeping mats and sewing equipment from the chief's sister. Apikaila provided bandages and medicine. The head of the fishermen made weapons in addition to fishing gear; Hina visited him as well. She took a spear for herself, as she felt better putting some distance between her and an enemy—at least without all of her powers. Since she couldn't be sure if Tamatoa's tastes had changed, she opted to select a shark tooth club for him. She also gathered some flint for making fires. By sunset, Hina was confident that their journey to Te Pele would be passed in relative comfort, provided they didn't run into any trouble. Sure, the likelihood of trouble was probably higher than she liked, but at least she felt more confident that they could face it.

Hina stowed the supplies on board Irawaru and headed back to the village. The sun had set, casting orange and red shadows over the island, turning the sand purple. The torches were already lit in the village, and the people were already gathering for the evening meal. Though it wasn't a feast night, the people still sat together, this time under the council fale. The food was prepared on a large umu sitting outside of the fale, and left out on some stones for people to take at their leisure. Hina helped herself to some fish and yams and headed into the fale with the others. After a cursory glance around, Hina saw Tamatoa once again sitting between Iulia and Chief Mikaele. Iulia was prattling on about something Hina couldn't hear, and to which Tamatoa didn't really seem to be listening. He nibbled on a bit of fish, eyes slanted without focus. Hina allowed herself a small smile, and went over to them.

Hina settled herself down between Tamatoa and Mikaele, giving the chief a respectful nod. Tamatoa gave her a sideways scowl.

"Where have you been?" he hissed. He quickly glanced back to make sure Iulia had switched her attentions to someone else. Hina smirked, trying not to laugh.

"Rough day?" she asked. He shuddered dramatically, his face pulling into a dejected grimace.

"These girls are insane; they dragged me over every inch of this blasted island! And they never. Stopped. _Talking_." He dragged his hands down his face, pulling at his cheeks and groaning softly. "Eventually I could have sworn I'd gone deaf; I just completely tuned out their voices. I think they introduced me to every single member of this village. My leg hurts from walking, and my head aches something awful." He shoved his fists into his eyes and rubbed, hard. Hina settled her cheek on her knuckles; she was just too amused to feel very sorry for Tamatoa. It was his own fault for choosing to endear himself to the youth of Niue. His pride and boastful nature had gotten the better of him.

"So, rough day?" she asked again. Tamatoa lifted his eyes from beneath his fingers. His face was mutinous.

"I am ex _hausted,_ Hina," he growled. "I'm a charmer by nature, but there is only so much charm a guy can pour out before running on empty. If I have to spent one more _minute_ with this girl..." He jerked a thumb in Iulia's direction. "I will surely snap." Hina shrugged and took a bite of yam.

"Well then...you might want to eat up and quick," she said between bites. Tamatoa narrowed his eyes, then shoved a whole fish into his mouth. He chewed a bit, then pulled the fish's skeleton, fully intact, out again. Hina couldn't help but be impressed. After he finished chewing, Tamatoa sighed heavily.

"When are we leaving, again?" he asked.

"At dawn," Hina answered, "before the sun crosses Niue. We have to be on the water by the time the sun shines on the water. Then we will sail in its path until sunset." Tamatoa nodded and waved vaguely.

"Fine, fine, as long as it gets me out of here as soon as possible." Hina gave him a half smile. She was glad Iulia still wasn't listening. Tamatoa truly must have been tired if he was partially forgetting the social graces they had so carefully discussed he use.

"Oh, come now, she's just a child," Hina said. "She's just interested in you because you're new." Tamatoa huffed and turned back to his dinner. Hina chuckled and did the same.

Over the chatter, in the midst of the warmth and sweet smells, Hina heard a strange sound. It drifted in, heavy and cold, from outside. Hina paused, a piece of fish halfway to her mouth. The sound brushed her ears again, and she looked around, trying to find its source. It didn't sound like it was coming from any of the villagers, or indeed, from inside the fale. Chief Mikaele had begun to speak to her, but Hina shook her head, not listening. Finally, she stood up as she heard the sound again.

"Forgive me, Chief," she said lightly, giving him a plaintive wave. "I need to do something. I'll be right back." Without waiting for his acknowledgment, Hina quickly exited the fale behind the gathered villagers. She felt Tamatoa's questioning gaze on her back, but she didn't turn back. She followed the sound down the rise to the southern beach, where they'd first made landfall. Hina walked towards the water, to the point where her toes would be kissed by the waves.

Only, there were no waves. Hina gazed on a slowly expanding plain of wet sand, down, down until she finally spotted the water line. The waves were pulling farther and farther away from the shore, nearly disappearing into the dark. Cold, sharp dread stabbed Hina's chest. The water was leaving... Time seemed to slow to a crawl. In slow motion, Hina turned on her heel and sprinted back up the rise towards the village. The world turned around her, and she felt as if she was running through mud. Yet the fale quickly appeared again and grew larger and larger in her field of vision. As she passed under the thatched roof, sense crawled its way back into her mind. She slowed her stride so she wouldn't barrel into the midst of the dining villagers. Hina forced herself to walk briskly around behind the gathered people up to where the chief sat. She knew if she simply flew into the gathering shouting danger, people would panic. But she had to be quick, or those same people would die.

When Hina finally reached Chief Mikaele, she knelt at his shoulder and tapped him hard on the shoulder. Mikaele quickly looked around, startled.

"Hina? What is it?" he asked. Hina fought for breath for a brief moment; panic was nearly starting to get the best of her.

"The water is leaving," she said under her breath, "the ocean is retreating from the shore. We need to get to higher ground _now._ " The chief's eyes widened as far as they would go.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly. Hina nodded.

"I saw it. We have to move now. Now." The chief swallowed, then promptly stood, nearly knocking Hina back. He called for his people's attention, using a sharp, loud call that immediately brought silence.

"Everyone, Hina has spotted a danger," he said, his voice surprisingly even. Confused murmurs started, bu Mikaele didn't let them hang long. "The ocean is retreating, which means a giant wave will be coming soon." The murmurs turned into cries of surprise and fear. Out of the corner of her eye, Hina saw Iulia seize onto Tamatoa's arm. He jumped and tried to tug away. "We need to quickly, but calmly, head towards the mountain," said Mikaele. "Do not try to take anything with you; we are wasting enough time as it is. Leave now, hurry!"

The people of Niue bolted to their feet and fled out the back of the fale, jostling each other in their hurry. Mikaele shouted orders to his warriors to aid the elders, while women grabbed their children. No one was foolish enough to try to retrieve any belongings; they made a beeline for the slope of the mountain on Niue's east side. At the head of the throng, Mikaele, Ioane, and one of the senior warriors snatched up torches to light the way. Hina lagged behind as much as she dared to make sure everyone got out of the fale and out of the village. When the last person crossed the line from the village boundaries into small forest below the mountain, Hina hurried to catch up. After a moment she realized that she'd lost track of Tamatoa in the crowd. She searched frantically for him, when a loud rushing noise roared in from behind. Hina glanced over her shoulder, and her heart stopped. The wave had arrived. It moved at unimaginable speed, swallowing up the beach, the hill, and then the village. The huts and crops were crushed in a matter of seconds, buried under tons of displaced seawater. The water dragged whatever debris it created with it, creating a swirling mass of solid and liquid death.

Hina inhaled and spurred herself forward. She let out a cry, warning the retreating villagers of the approaching wave. When they realized how close the wave was, panic finally set in and the people bolted. Screams of terror rang out, barely clearing the roar of the wave. The organized mass scattered as people desperately made for sides of the mountains that weren't already being used. Hina searched for Tamatoa, but she couldn't find him anywhere. She filled her lungs and called his name.

Tamatoa nearly paused when he heard his name, but then remembered he was being chased by a giant wave. He frantically tried to catch up with the fleeing humans, but his limp became much more pronounced and hampering when he tried to move fast. It was a miracle he hadn't been eaten by the wave yet; it was nipping at his heels. He hobbled as fast as he could up the slopes of the mountain and into the trees. The sound of the water lessened. Tamatoa finally felt safe enough to turn around. The water rushed across the land about ten feet below him. He stood on a small hill at mid-treeline, just out of reach of the wave's path. Even once it landed at the base of the mountain, the wave wouldn't rise up enough to pose a threat.

Tamatoa finally felt secure enough to look around. He'd lost track of Hina in the mad rush to escape the village. He wasn't particularly worried about her, seeing as she was a demigod, but it would be nice to know where she'd buggered off to. Tamatoa started towards the shallower slope up the mountain, when a muffled scream interrupted his stride. Tamatoa paused and turned around, listening. There was another scream, somewhere down to the left of the slope. Tamatoa hesitated, glancing back at the mountain. Yet another scream happened, and he groaned. After a moment of jaw-clenching, Tamatoa pivoted and marched down the slope towards the direction of the scream. The only reason he was doing this was because the screaming person might be Hina in trouble, and the only reason he would care about that is because he needed her to change him back. At least, that's what he told himself on the way down.

Tamatoa came to the end of the treeline, where the ground began to rise, and immediately caught sight of a fallen tree pressed against the rise. He edged towards the tree and quickly found the source of the screams: it was the chief's daughter. Iulia was trapped between the tree and the hip of the rise. She'd somehow wedged herself with her knees pressed up against her chest, back to the hill, and feet trapped partway beneath the tree. Apparently she'd stuck herself so well that the angle gave her no way to gain leverage with her arms. Her struggling didn't move her at all, and the wave was getting nearer.

Tamatoa grimaced down at the girl. He was very, very tempted to just walk away to safety. He had absolutely no reason to put any value into a human life, much less an annoyingly clingy girl who hadn't left him alone since he landed on Niue. She was tiresome and grating, clingy, and she never shut up. If he'd been his regular size, he probably would have stepped on her already. What was there to lose by leaving her to her fate? Tamatoa nearly turned around, but then Iulia looked up and caught sight of him.

"Oh, Taua!" she exclaimed. She tried to reach a hand towards him, but couldn't bring her arm high enough without twisting it into a weird angle. "Please, help me! The wave's coming; I can't get out!" Tamatoa's insides curdled at the desperation in her voice. He stared down at her; her eyes were so round, positively shining with fear. She didn't want to die; she really, really didn't want to die.

 _Gods, what is even happening right now_? He couldn't do it; he simply could not do it. With an almighty groan, Tamatoa took those last few steps down the hill and came down in front of the fallen tree. It wasn't even that big of a tree; the only reason Iulia couldn't free herself was because some of the tree's roots were still buried in the earth, keeping it stuck on the ground. Tamatoa gave a few experimental tugs at the trunk, but there was no way he could get it to budge; not by himself at least. The roar of the wave grew louder, and Tamatoa chanced a glance over his shoulder. The wave had consumed the island's lowest land, and was now crawling up towards the higher center. Its speed was slowed some by both the change in elevation and the excess of flotsam it was bringing with it. But it was coming, nonetheless. He didn't have much time to tarry. As far as he knew there wasn't anyone close enough to call for help.

Tamatoa turned his back on the wave.

"Okay, girl, listen to me," he said. Iulia's wide eyes fixed on his face. "I need you to grab onto my shoulders." Iulia did as she was told. Tamatoa put his right foot on the tree and braced his left leg against the ground. He then fixed his hands under Iulia's arms and pushed as hard as he could with his legs. Iulia whimpered, but she kept her grip firm. Tamatoa pulled and pushed, straining against the pressure of the tree. Sweat bloomed on his forehead and back, and his shoulders and legs trembled against the weight. He grit his teeth so hard that his jaw creaked, and he gasped for air. Eventually he tried swaying back and forth a bit to try to gain a bit of wiggle room for Iulia. After almost a minute of pulling, his muscles burned so fiercely he promptly collapsed onto his back, gasping. This wasn't going to work; he was too weak. Had he'd been in his old body, he could've snapped the tree in half and tossed it to the other side of the island. This body was nothing.

The rushing sound thundered overhead. Tamatoa craned his head back and saw the swirling outline of the wave bearing down upon them. He had a few seconds to decide what he was going to do. Tamatoa threw himself to his feet, then draped himself over the middle of the tree, covering Iulia with his bulk. He created a small pocket between himself and the side of the hill. With any luck, he'd take the brunt of the wave. Iulia was staring up at him, but he didn't look at her. If he looked at her he'd probably lose his nerve and run.

"Don't forget to hold your breath," he hissed. He braced himself, not readily ready for the wall of crushing water.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hina hurried through the trees, finally gaining some ground on the wave. Shortly after yelling for Tamatoa, she'd heard a scream, followed by two more. She temporarily forgot her task of finding Tamatoa and headed in the direction of the scream; it was too familiar to ignore. Hina followed the rise across the bottom of the mountain and down to the tree line. She came to a sudden halt and gaped down at the bottom of the hill. She took note of a couple of things happening at once, but she couldn't decide which was stranger. Tamatoa was kneeling prostrate over a fallen tree, shielding a hopelessly pinned Iulia from the oncoming wave. The wave, as it turns out, was right behind them. Except, once it had come within ten feet of them, the wave came to a sudden and violent halt. Stranger still, once the wave stopped, a second wave, one made entirely of eels, shot out of the water and hurled itself at Tamatoa. Hina had no time to think what was weirder; she acted.

Tamatoa realized that he'd held his eyes closed a lot longer than he'd expected to. Based on the rate the wave had been moving, it should have reached them by now. After a few seconds, instead of a wall of debris-laden water hitting him, Tamatoa was instead hit in the ears by a piercing battle cry. He looked up and around and saw Hina vaulting from the hill over him onto the ground behind him. Since he was still not under water, Tamatoa twisted around to follow her. Hina whipped off her headband and threw her braid into the air. It grew to an unimaginable length before falling back into her outstretched arms. Hina twisted her torso to the side, and with an almighty roar, she sliced at the ground with her braid. Or rather, it was something on the ground. Tamatoa looked down and saw, to his shock, the wave of water had been replaced by a wave of eels.

The eels broke rank under the punishing blow of Hina's hair. They reared back en mass and tried to pull against its own momentum. Hina slashed again and again at the eel wave, driving it back towards the retreating wave. As the water sank down the length of the island towards the sea, the eels did their best to follow. Hina wouldn't let them escape without feeling the sting of her braid. As they disappeared down the slope of the island to the beach, Tamatoa manage to rouse himself from his shock and confusion enough to push himself off of the tree to his feet. He glanced back at Iulia, still stuck. He raised a finger and pointed it at her.

"Don't...Don't move," he said, his voice shaky. If Iulia had any reaction to the irony of this statement, Tamatoa didn't see it; he took off towards the beach. On his way there, Tamatoa quickly had to slow his pace to pick his way safely over and around the leftover wreckage from the village. Niue's settlement had been completely leveled by the wave, along with most of the local plant life on this side of the island. When he finally reached the crest of the hill leading down to the beach, he saw Hina was having a bit of a harder time getting the wave of eels to retreat. The water itself had sunk back into the ocean and resumed its usual ebb and flow. The eels, however, seemed to have recovered from their initial shock at being ejected from the wave. They were now furiously trying to surround Hina, squirming on the sand and wrapping themselves around her ankles. Hina batted at them with her hair and kicked out at them, but there were so many. With a jolt, Tamatoa realized that the eels were actually kind of succeeding; a few had wrapped themselves around Hina's ankle, while two more had latched their jaws around her calf. The rest of the eels were helping these eels drag Hina towards the ocean. Somehow, Hina was keeping herself upright. In fact, it didn't look like she was actually aware that the wave of eels was moving her at all. She was too busy trying to fight them off.

Tamatoa stared as the eels pulled Hina closer and closer towards the waves. She didn't notice at all. If something wasn't done quickly, she was going to be pulled under. Tamatoa looked around wildly, looking for something, anything, to help. Eventually, his gaze settled on a large rock, sitting on top of the sand. It had probably been dislodged by the wave. Tamatoa ran over to the rock. It was nearly as big as he was, at least the size of his torso. He glanced back at Hina; one of her feet was already kissing the waves. He didn't have time to think; he acted.

Hina felt the sudden invasion of cool water into her sphere of influence. She looked down and saw she was standing halfway in the ocean. The blasted eels were actually succeeding in dragging her away! Hina quickly put her headband back on and started tugging at the wriggling mass around her legs. A few of the eels had managed to sink their teeth into her right calf, something she hadn't felt in the heat of battle. She punched, tore, and clawed at the eels, but they didn't seem phased. Her position shifted a few inches nearer the waves. Her breath caught and her heart pounded; she couldn't get away!

Suddenly, a huge boulder came flying out of nowhere and slammed into the wave of eels. The eels scattered away from the boulder, while others were crushed beneath it. Hina stopped her defensive pummeling and looked around. Before she could gain a sense of where the boulder had come from, another boulder soared in and crushed more eels. The eels restraining her legs suddenly abandoned their efforts to rejoin their brethren. After a few seconds of confused writhing, the eel wave began to pull back into the water. Hina roused herself and jumped backward out of the eels. She unfurled her hair again and swiped at the wave. A line of eels where knocked into the air and back into the ocean. Hina got a few swipes in before she heard a grunting roar behind her. She looked behind her just in time to see Tamatoa hurl another large boulder over his head and into the wave of eels. This final boulder seemed to do the trick; the eels all turned on their tails and dove into the ocean waves, disappearing into the dark sea.

Hina stood, panting, at the edge of the beach. The grip on her braid loosened, and she dropped it into the water. She couldn't believe how close she'd come to being dragged away. She had no doubt at all who had sent those eels. Their father had destroyed a whole village and leveled half an island to try to get at her. Under cover of a tidal wave no less. He hadn't even been up front about it. All because of her. Hina nearly collapsed under the sudden guilt crashing over her self-preservation rush, had it not been for someone saying her name. She halted her near dropping to the ground just in time to have someone grab her shoulder and spin her around. Tamatoa's face crossed into her vision, forcing her to snap into focus.

"Hina, are you okay?" he asked. He looked odd to her, like he was...concerned. Hina managed to crease her brow and nod.

"I'm...I'm okay," she said, her voice choked. His expression instantly changed; now he looked furious. At least that made sense in general.

"What was that?" he snarled. "One moment you were driving them back, fighting, and then you let yourself get caught! They nearly swallowed you!" Hina blinked, then heat suffused her cheeks and acid burned her stomach.

"I was fighting the whole time!" she snapped. "There were too many to keep track of; it's not my fault things got a little out of hand. I did what I had to." Tamatoa glared at her, teeth clenched, then he seemed to give up and broke eye contact. He instead looked down and pointed to her right leg.

"You're bleeding," he grunted. Hina glanced down at her calf. There were several small puncture marks in her skin from the eels' teeth, sending little tiny rivulets of blood down the side of her leg. They stung a bit, but didn't look serious. When Hina looked up, Tamatoa was stalking away towards the rise. She hurried to follow him, and nearly tripped over one of the boulders. Hina stared down at it. Her eyes grew cold from being widened. Did he...? Hina looked up and hurried after Tamatoa, who by now had reached the path leading to what was left of the village.

"Hey!" Hina called out. Tamatoa halted his progress into the wreckage of the village. He didn't seem to actually have a direction he was going in, because he just kind of meandered a bit before settling onto a fallen tree. He looked a bit haggard. As Hina approached, she saw Tamatoa reach over to massage his shoulder, a wince crossing his face. When she drew level with him, Hina noticed he was sweating profusely, and his limbs were actually trembling. He looked up to acknowledge her, then cast his eyes back down. Hina inhaled deeply and crossed her arms, trying to slow down the racing that had started in her mind. "Tamatoa," she said evenly, "did you throw those boulders?" He looked back up at her, his expression stony.

"...Yes...no...I don't know," he answered. His voice was surprisingly soft, vulnerable even. His face portrayed the slightest allusion to doubt, possibly even fear. Hina knelt in front of him, but Tamatoa didn't want to meet her eye. Maybe he was feeling bad about yelling at her, but knowing Tamatoa, that probably wasn't it.

"Do you know how you did that?" Hina asked. "Those boulders were huge." Tamatoa shook his head, confusion heavy on his brow.

"I don't know...I just...did it." His bottom lip actually quivered, and he turned away. Hina swallowed, her insides squirming. She had a hunch as to how this could have happened, how he could have found the strength to lift such heavy rocks, but she couldn't reveal that to him. She hadn't told him the truth that would make sense of this. Hina almost kicked herself for keeping this secret, but quickly reasoned with herself that it was for the best. As long as he didn't remember the truth about himself, there was no need to explain anything. Still, seeing him so distraught nearly sent her into a confessional stint. Hina opened her mouth to say something, and she wrestled with herself until she finally managed to think.

"Well...thank you, for that," she said. Tamatoa's eyes widened and he looked back at her. He was shocked. Hina gave him a small smile, then reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "You were right, I didn't know they'd caught me. If you hadn't interfered, I probably would have been taken under. So thank you, however you did it." Tamatoa stared at her, then he bit his lip and shrugged. Hina had a suspicion he was trying not to crack a smile.

"Yeah, well, if you get taken, then I lose the only means of breaking this curse," he muttered. "Not like I'm going to let that happen." Hina smiled wider; at least he sounded like himself again.

Voices drifted down from the forest to the wreckage of the village. Hina and Tamatoa looked around and saw the people of Niue approaching. They stood up and Tamatoa followed Hina as she walked over to meet them. The Chief strode over at the front of the throng of people, then halted suddenly stopped several feet away. Hina would have kept walking, but the look on Mikaele's face stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Hina," Mikaele said. Hina nearly balked at the razor sharp edge to the Chief's voice. It sliced through the air like a knife. "What happened? What was that?" Hina frowned at this question.

"What do you mean, Chief?" she asked. "The wave came, and then it went. That's what happens." Mikaele's face cracked into a dark glare.

"That was no ordinary tidal wave," he said, his voice shaking with anger. I saw what happened; I was watching from the cliff. That wave was full of eels!" Hina's throat closed. She tried to swallow, but struggled. Mikaele didn't wait for her to reply. "I saw you chase those eels back into the ocean, and then they tried to take you with them." He folded his arms and stared Hina down. As he did, the people of Niue fanned out in a semi-circle around her. Some of them looked frightened, some of them looked confused, but most looked angry. Hina didn't know what to say. Out of everything that had taken place that night, this was the last thing she'd expected to happen.

"If you know where that wave really came from, I demand you speak now," Mikaele ordered. Before Hina could say anything, however, there was a small commotion off to the side of the crowd. Apikaila pushed her way out from behind a couple of other elders, waving her fist in the air.

"Now just one minute, Mikaele," Apikaila shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the chief. "What is this tossing blame about nonsense? Who do you think beat back that wave? How dare you treat Hina like she's the enemy here?!" Mikaele threw a glare at his medicine woman and waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't try to turn this around, woman," he snapped. "I'm not a fool. Something like this doesn't happen by accident, or even naturally. Hina is a demigod; she has to have some idea of what just happened." Apikaila started to protest again, but Mikaele cut her off with a roar. "By the gods, our village has been destroyed!" He stomped over to Hina until he thrust his face in hers. Hina drew back despite herself, fear and guilt raining down on her. It took all her might not to turn away. "Tel me what you know, Hina!" Mikaele demanded. "What happened here tonight?!"

Hina took several deep breaths, attempting to settle her nerves. It didn't work; she'd been caught. She supposed she couldn't blame the Chief for being angry; his home had been destroyed, his people put in danger. His only daughter had almost died. Hina actually caught sight of Iulia out of the corner of her eye. The girl looked terrified, and she was covered in bruises. By the way she was holding herself, she might have even suffered a broken bone or two somewhere. Hina's heart sank, and before she knew it, tears crowded the bottom of her vision. Mikaele was right; this was completely her fault. She had to own up to what she'd done.

Hina swallowed hard, and squared her shoulders to face her truth. She met the Chief of Niue's furious gaze with her own, hoping she succeeded in putting all of her regret into that look.

"Yes, Chief, I do know what happened," she said, her voice heavy with breath. "You're right, that wasn't an ordinary wave." The people of Niue muttered around them, but the Chief simply waited. "I strongly suspect...no, I know for sure, that that wave and the eels riding it were sent by the god Te Tunaroa." A collective gasp echoed throughout the gathered crowd. Mikaele's frown deepened.

"Why would the father of eels send a wave to destroy Niue?" he growled. Hina fought the urge to drop her gaze. She would not face this like a child caught breaking the rules.

"He sent the wave for me," she said. "He's after me. He sent the wave in the hopes it would capture me." More gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd. Mikaele's expression became positively murderous.

"You mean you came here, to my island, and presume to use us a means of escaping a god? You came here knowing that you had the wrath of a god over your head?!" Hina winced at his fury. "You endangered us all! How could you?!" The people's murmurs turned into angry assent. All eyes turned with fury on Hina, all except for Apikaila. "Does this have something to do with why you're not wearing your necklace?" Hina balked. Mikaele nodded furiously. "Yes, that's right, I noticed. Do you think I'm a fool? The only reason I didn't say anything was because I trusted you. We all _trusted_ you!" Hina took a deep breath. She had too choose her words carefully.

"It does have to do with that. Te Tunaroa stole my necklace and hid it away. I found it, but discovered he had put a curse on it. I can't touch it otherwise I'll be cursed too. I'm trying to find a way to break the curse. Without my necklace, most of my powers are gone." This drew curious whispers from the crowd, but none of the anger left the air. Mikaele shook his head in disbelief.

"So you just used us. You used us to hide from the result of your carelessness!"

Hina shifted, and caught sight of Tamatoa. By now he'd come up to stand beside her. His expression was unreadable at first. As she looked closer, she saw his jaw was clenched, and his eyes held something that looked like a mix of fear and anger. She wasn't sure what was the origin of this emotion. She pushed the issue aside for now.

"Yes, I know, I took a risk. We needed a place to rest and get supplies, and this was the closest place to where we were. I was sure Te Tunaroa wouldn't be able to find us here; I was wrong." She looked around at the gathered villagers. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for putting you all in danger. I was over confident in by my abilities to avoid Tunaroa. I...I'm so very sorry." Hina looked around, and her blood grew cold. There was nothing but contempt in the eyes of nearly every single villager. Maybe not on Iulia; she still looked terrified. And, of course, Apikaila's fury wasn't directed at Hina, but at the Chief. Hina couldn't take it anymore; she looked down at the ground.

"I can't believe you," Mikaele snarled. Hina winced again at the venom in his voice. "I thought you were a friend to our people. I cannot believe how wrong I was." Hina looked up to try to say she still was their friend, but Mikaele cut across her. "No friend of this village would betray us like this." More shouts of assent followed this. From behind his father, Ioane raised his voice in outrage.

"And what about him?" the young man shouted. "This guy you apparently rescued. Who is he really?" This question didn't really get much of a reaction from the group. Hina saw Tamatoa stiffen beside her. He actually looked like he was going to say something, but Hina quickly held out an arm and stepped in front of him. He took in a barely imperceptible breath behind her.

"Everything about him is true!" Hina insisted. She hoped this lie wasn't easy to spot. At this point, the people were so angry they might not listen to anything she said. But she wasn't going to let Tamatoa be persecuted because of her; after everything she'd done to him, he didn't deserve it. "He has nothing to do with this. I was just trying to help him." Mikaele threw a frown at his son, then shook his head at Hina.

"Of course he is," the Chief said. "I was in no doubt about that." He turned an apologetic grimace on Tamatoa. "I have to thank you, Taua. My daughter told me you tried to save her. I am in your debt." Hina didn't chance a glance over at Tamatoa; she didn't want to tempt him into any reaction that might give him away. She just heard him clear his throat; he said nothing. Hina looked back up to the Chief.

"As I said, I regret everything that has past. If there is anything I can do to help before we leave tomorrow-".

"No," Mikaele snapped. He pointed right at Hina's heart. "You need to leave now. I won't have you endangering my people a moment longer." The villagers threw in their agreement to this statement. Hina clenched her fists, trying not to give in. All she wanted to do was sink into the ground. She'd never felt such hate from humans before. It felt unfair; she'd done her best to save these people. But she knew that, in reality, this was all her fault. She deserved these people's ire; every bit of it.

"Very well. I understand." Hina looked up at Tamatoa. He met her gaze, his mouth clenched and his eyes hard. "Come on...Taua; we cannot infringe on these peoples' hospitality any longer." She turned away from the people of Niue.

"No." The word hit the back of her head like a stone. Hina spun around and saw that Mikaele had come to stand by Tamatoa. Tamatoa, who apparently hadn't even managed a step forward, recoiled away from the Chief, confusion blatant on his face. Mikaele didn't notice. "Taua has no reason to go with you. You deceived him as well. Who's to say you won't use him the way you've used us?" Tamatoa raised an eyebrow; Hina was sure she'd never seen anyone so befuddled. It was obvious to her that he was angry as well, but the confusion was mixing too thickly with that anger for it to shine through. It kind of left an effect of him having stubbed his toe and not wanting to admit it.

"Excuse me?" Tamatoa asked. Mikaele gave him a sad smile and put what was supposed to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. Tamatoa looked like a hornet had landed on him.

"My friend, it's obvious that whatever trouble Hina has gotten herself into, you certainly don't need to have any part of it. You should stay here with us." Hina's gut lurched, but she suppressed the distressed gasp brewing in her throat. Tamatoa visibly paled.

"I...What?" Mikaele patted his shoulder.

"You're welcome here, Taua," he said. "We'd be happy to have you join our village." The people behind them voiced enthusiastic agreement. Iulia's fear evaporated and she grinned hopefully. Only Ioane looked miffed. Tamatoa stared at the Chief; he didn't do anything to

"No...I can't stay here," he said shakily. Hina took a few steps towards him, raising her hands in an effort to appeal.

"Please, Chief, I promised him I would take him back to his island," said Hina. Tamatoa nodded, his eyes wide.

"That's right," he said. "I have to go home."

"Nonsense," the Chief said. "You said you live all alone. It sounded like you had nothing to go back to." He spread his arm out towards his people. "A man shouldn't have to live alone; a man needs his people." The villagers gave a small cheer to that. Hina could at least be happy that their ties hadn't been weakened by the disaster that had befallen them. But that sense of community was threatening to intervene with her problem. Tamatoa must have been thinking the same thing, because the two of them started to protest at the same time. "Enough!" Chief Mikaele threw the word more at Hina. His features twisted with rage. "Why are you still here?" Hina winced. Mikaele advanced on her, and she couldn't help but cower. Suddenly, her courage and forced composure crumbled under the force of the Chief's ire. "I told you to leave my island. If you don't obey this instant, my warriors and I will chase you into the ocean ourselves! Begone!" Hina swallowed hard. Despair was pulling at her, threatening to rip her apart. This couldn't be happening. If she explained why Tamatoa had to come with her, the people would turn on him too. Mikaele might not be content with just threatening violence if he knew the great collector was among his people. But she couldn't just leave him there.

Hina turned her gaze to Tamatoa. He looked utter lost; he knew what was at stake, and he knew what could happen to him if he told the truth. But right now, faced with such hatred from the people she cared about, whom she had protected, Hina just couldn't think of anything else to do but run. Maybe she could sneak back later and find him again when no one was looking. But for the moment, she didn't have the wherewithal to argue anymore. The wind had left her sails. Hina picked up her headband—her braid had been dragging on the ground—and replaced it on her head. She then turned and walked away towards the island's eastern shore. With any luck, Irawaru would still be moored there despite the wave.

Tamatoa watched Hina go, her former confident gate drooping into an ashamed shuffle. He couldn't believe what was happening. His only means of changing back was walking away, while he was being told to stay. He was almost being _forced_ to stay, because he knew if either of them revealed why he was with Hina, the humans would turn on both of them. Not that his infamy was anything to be ashamed of to him. He got a sick sense of pride from it. But that wasn't what had him paralyzed with confusion. These humans had turned on her in the blink of the eye, not even an hour after she had warned them about the wave. She'd stayed behind to make sure everyone got out of the village alive. She'd chased the eels in the wave back into the ocean just before it crushed him and Iulia. And yet, the Chief had given _him_ the credit for saving his daughter. The Chief had seen Hina fight off the eels in the wave, yet he just focused on the fact that there _were_ eels in the wave. And now he had the gall to tell Tamatoa he was going to stay on this tiny island? The Chief didn't even ask if he wanted to stay. He just told him he was, and then told Hina to get lost. These humans...these shallow, ignorant, ungrateful _mortals_... Tamatoa's fingers slowly curled into fists. He took a few deep breaths, trying to force his shock into something more useful. He was given the opportunity to decide on what that would be when he heard the Chief's voice from behind him.

"Come one everyone. We'll have to wait until daybreak to salvage anything. For now, let's find somewhere to bed down. Taua, come." At that moment, Tamatoa's temper snapped. He didn't care what happened next, what consequences his actions would yield. His anger was too great to quash.

He rounded on the people of Niue, letting out a roar. The humans whipped around, all eyes wide. Tamatoa seethed, momentarily mute in his rage. His mind was so roiled that for the moment all he could manage was heavy breathing. It took the Chief almost saying something to set Tamatoa back on track.

"What's-".

"What is _wrong_ with you people?!" Tamatoa bellowed. The people actually flinched at the volume of his voice. Some of them even took a step back. "What kind of ignorant, selfish fools are you?" The Chief held out a placating hand, and Tamatoa was pleased to see it shake.

"I don't understand; what is the matter?" the Chief asked. Tamatoa snarled. He reflected on the fact that he probably sounded more like an animal with his behavior, but he didn't care; that's what he was.

"You turned you back on Hina, right after she saved all of your lives!" Tamatoa snapped. He took a step forward, and the Chief took one back. For all his bluster against Hina, it appeared the Chief wasn't nearly as stalwart as he seemed. Or maybe he just didn't think women were a threat; not even a demigoddess. Tamatoa leveled a glare at him.

"Hina warned you about that wave. She made sure your people got out of the village, all of them! And, I didn't save your silly daughter..." A a twinge of self-doubt tugged at his chest. After what had happened, he wished he'd just left that girl where he found her. Plus, he hadn't been able to do anything for her anyway.

 _And yet, I was able to help Hina_...Tamatoa shook his head and pushed the thought away. Now was not the time. "Hina saved the girl, not me. She saved all of us." He threw his hands up and pulled them down again. His frustration was so huge he wished _he_ was still huge, then he could stomp on these ridiculous humans. Some of the shock left the Chief's face as his brow turned down.

"Hina betrayed us," he said. His tone suggested he was trying to convince more than just the man in front of him. Maybe Tamatoa's words had struck some sense of conscious. "Surely you can see that? She brought Te Tunaroa's wrath down upon our island; if she cared she wouldn't have come at all." A few of the villagers nodded and murmured their agreement. Tamatoa threw glares at them, and the people quickly silenced. He resisted the urge to hiss. The Chief raised his hands again, like he was approaching a cornered animal. "She deceived you too, Taua," he said gently. "You shouldn't feel like you have to defend her to us." Tamatoa roared again and stomped his foot, making the Chief flinch.

"She didn't deceive me, you idiot!" he shouted. "I knew about Tunaroa! I knew about the curse on her necklace! Hina never even said I didn't know; you just assumed I didn't!" This drew a gasp from the villagers. Iulia came forward a bit from the crowd, but stayed behind her father. She stared at Tamatoa, clasping her hands plaintively under her chin.

"You knew?" she asked, her voice slightly shrill. "You knew we were in danger the whole time?" Tamatoa ignored her and kept his fury focused on the Chief.

"Believe me, the only reason _I_ didn't say anything is because I couldn't care less about what happened to you people!" The villagers gasped again. Iulia put her hands to her mouth; she was so devastated she looked close to tears. What was it with this girl?

"But why-?" But Tamatoa cut her off with a sudden whirl in her direction, fixing her with a glower.

"Oh shut up, you stupid girl!" he snapped. Somehow, after everything, he felt like he was most angry at this foolish, obsessive child. It was bad enough she'd latched on to him like a barnacle just minutes after he'd touched Niue's soil. It was bad enough that her fawning and idolatry had actually kind of endeared herself to him—if only because it inflated his ego a bit. She'd seen Hina save them from the wave, yet she told her father that Tamatoa was the one who had saved her. Any protective inclinations he'd had for the girl were gone. He wouldn't tolerate such a lie, if it did make him look good. Iulia reared back, her face drawn in horror.

"Taua..." she whimpered, her voice breaking. Tamatoa groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh for gods' sake, that is _not_ my name!" he shouted, stamping his peg into the ground. This drew a gasp from everyone, not just the Chief's daughter. "Yeah, that's right!" He spread his arms in emphasis, his mouth curving in a mirthless grin. "That was also a lie. Hina and I came up with a fake story for how she met me; she figured you cowards wouldn't take my true identity very well. But I don't care anymore; you've proven what intolerant idiots you all are, so I'll just leave it out in the open." He curled his lip into a snarl. "My real name is Tamatoa." Another gasp; some people actually screamed. The Chief, despite his shock, actually had the backbone to narrow his eyes and take a threatening step forward. Tamatoa didn't care; none of these humans scared him anymore.

"Tamatoa?" the Chief repeated. "Surely you don't mean-?" Tamatoa took his own step forward and stuck his face right in the Chief's. He smirked angrily when the man blinked.

"Oh yes, I _mean_ ," he said. "I am the monster crab of Lalotai. The Great Collector himself. Take a good look, Chief. This is the result of the curse Te Tunaroa put on Hina's necklace." He let out an audible growl as the cruel irony of the situation dripped down his back. "Believe me, if I was my regular size, I wouldn't hesitate to devour every single one of you!" He bit at the air in front of him. The people cried out and the Chief stepped back in surprise. Tamatoa was actually beginning to wonder why these people hadn't attacked him yet. Based on how quickly they'd turned on Hina, he would have expected a few spears to be tossed his way. He must have had them so thoroughly fooled that they just couldn't get over their shock at his true nature. He raised his hands and folded them into mock claws. "Or maybe I'd just cut you all into pieces! Snap snap!" He opened and closed his hands to mime claws clacking. A small part of him said that he was just being silly at this point, but he ignored it; this was kind of cathartic.

"I can't believe Hina bothered to save your sorry hides," Tamatoa spat. "If you can betray someone who risked their life for yours so readily, then you deserve all the devastation that wave left you." The irony of this statement wasn't lost on him either. His own betrayal of Hina had landed him in this mess, after all.

The people said nothing; Tamatoa wasn't sure if this was because he'd actually shamed them or if they were still struck dumb. After a minute of silence, Tamatoa threw up his hands and huffed in exasperation. "Whatever," he said. "I've had enough of this place. Have fun cleaning up after your own hubris, you pathetic mortals." He stuck his nose in the air and turned on the spot. "I think I'm actually glad I can't eat any of you," he said over his shoulder. "The stench of human pettiness here is enough to turn my stomach." He sniffed haughtily, kicked some sand back with his foot, and stomped down the path from the wrecked village towards the eastern beach. None of the people of Niue moved to stop him. Indeed, none of them would move from that spot for quite a while.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tamatoa saw the elder medicine woman watch him leave, a knowing smile on her weathered face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

At the sound of Tamatoa's angry yell, Hina had halted her progress towards the mooring beach. She wasn't so far off from where the humans were congregated that she couldn't hear the conversations. Curious, Hina sat herself down on a rock. To her immense surprise, Tamatoa revealed his true identity to the humans, verbally lashed out in anger and shamed them for their behavior. Then he turned his nose up at them and stalked away. Hina couldn't believe what she had heard. Tamatoa hadn't simply expressed distaste at the people's actions; he had defended her. He'd spoken up against their unfair treatment of her, after she'd saved their lives. And, he'd revealed the truth about who he was, even at the risk of opening himself up to harm. He could have just kept his head low and found a way out. Instead, he spoke his mind. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd done this, but this hadn't been a smart time to do it. It wasn't like him; well, not like the him he'd become.

Tamatoa came down the hill to the beach and followed it towards where she sat. He was heading towards the eastern beach; he meant to leave with her. Hina stood up to receive him. When Tamatoa drew level with her, Hina couldn't help but give him a small smile. Tamatoa looked up and the anger drained out of his face. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped a bit; he stopped dead in his tracks. His surprise was so bald Hina giggled. At this, Tamatoa's surprise was quickly replaced with annoyance. He folded his arms and huffed.

"Oh, what?" he grumbled. Hina shook her head.

"You didn't have to say those things," she said. "You took a big risk just now. They could have turned on you in a heartbeat." Tamatoa glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his face impassive.

"Yeah, well." He shrugged. "They were going to try to make me stay. I got enough of them in a day to last me a lifetime." He cleared his throat and nodded towards the boats. "So what are we waiting for, huh? We've got to be on the water by sunrise, right?" Hina nodded and turned towards the eastern beach. She suppressed a grin.

"Right. Let's get to removing that curse."

Irawaru, faithful as ever, survived the wave without so much as a scratch. Their supplies were largely intact as well, although a bit of water had gotten into the storage hull. The bandages and thread suffered some soaking, but most of it was salvageable. They were able to set sail before dawn, and were well offshore by the time the sun had breached the sea. Once they were in the path of the sun, Hina secured the sail and paddled to slow their progress. They would have to stay within the sun's line of sight up until nightfall; which meant slow progress for the rest of the day.

"Why are we going so sloooooow?" Tamatoa groaned. He lounged splayed out on the deck of the boat, his face turned towards the sky. Hina paddled slowly at the stern, keeping them centered below the high noon sun. They'd been on the water for hours; by now Niue was nowhere to be seen. Tamatoa heard a chuckle, and he lifted his head a bit to scowl at Hina. "What?" She shrugged, still smiling.

"You've asked that question every hour for the last six hours," she said. "I already told you; we have to stay in the sun's eye. If we veer or overtake it, we'll lose the path to Te Pele." Tamatoa snorted and turned back to the sky. There wasn't a single cloud overhead, and the sun sat right above them, almost perfectly center against the blue. Tamatoa quickly closed his eyes against the sun's burning light, but he was content to bask in its warmth. Given that he'd spent his whole life in dank shadow, a little sun bathing certainly wouldn't hurt. The warmth spread over him like a blanket, and the weariness from the previous night's events started to set in. Once again he'd been deprived of sleep for several hours; no sleep the previous night, and no sleep since setting sail. For now, they seemed to have reached a lull in their adventure. A nap would be a fine reward for all his trouble.

Before he could drift off, however, Hina cleared her throat in a plain effort to get his attention. Tamatoa let out an annoyed sigh; he didn't open his eyes, but gave his head a shake to show he was listening.

"I was wondering..." Hina said, then paused. Tamatoa still didn't open his eyes, but he frowned at the hesitation in her voice.

"What?" he asked. He heard her take a deep breath.

"Why did you say those things?" she asked. "To the people, I mean. You didn't just tell them the truth; you told them off." This time, Tamatoa did open his eyes. He looked over at Hina. She met his gaze. He couldn't quite gave what she was thinking from her face alone; her eyes, however, were a different story. They were unabashed orbs of curiosity and puzzlement. And there was something else as well, but he couldn't put his finger on it. For some reason though, he could have sworn he saw that look before. But that, of course, was ridiculous. Tamatoa stretched and pulled himself into a sitting position, thinking on how he should answer. Hina waited. He glanced at her, then looked down and spoke to the water.

"I was just fed up with keeping up an act," he said. He gave his head a toss and allowed annoyance to lace his words. Just thinking about those humans stirred his ire. "Being all nice and passive; I couldn't do it anymore. Those people stepped on my last nerve by saying I was going to stay there. No one tells me what to do." Tamatoa gave Hina a sideways peek. She paddled, looking down at her knees. She seemed thoughtful. Tamatoa sighed. Since she'd obviously heard what he'd said on the beach, there was no point in not telling the whole reason. He knew what she'd meant when she'd asked why. "And..." He paused, chewing on his words. Hina looked up, and her eyes gave away her vulnerable anticipation. Tamatoa swallowed; that look made his chest tighten. He focused back on the water. "And, the way they treated you wasn't right," he finally said. "It wasn't just wrong; it was scummy. After risking your life for them, they go and turn on you like a white shark in the womb? It's disgraceful. I thought humans had more honor when it came to their heroes than that."

He turned to give her and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I mean, come on, I don't wouldn't even turn on you like that." Hina raised her eyebrows, and Tamatoa internally cursed as a blush formed across his cheeks. "I mean, it's not because I like you or anything. You hold my life in your hands right now; I'd be an idiot to betray you at this point." He twisted his mouth and forced his eyes back onto the ocean, his gut burning with embarrassment. "That's what got me into this mess in the first place." This got a chuckle from Hina. "Those people were your friends. I've never had friends, but it always seemed like it was supposed to mean something." Silence. He looked back and noticed Hina's face had fallen, She regarded the deck in front of her, and her eyes had grown dull, like something had fallen out behind them. Hina noticed him looking at her and quickly cast her gaze upward, setting an impassive mask into place.

"Well, regardless of your reasoning, I want you to know I appreciate it," she said. Tamatoa opened his mouth to assure her that he didn't do it for her, but she held up a hand. "I know, I know, you're going to say you didn't do it for me." She gave him a half a teasing smile. "Too bad though, you already said you stood up for me. You can't take it back." Hina laughed mightily and Tamatoa hunched his shoulders. He'd done a lot of things lately he wanted to take back. Standing up for Hina to those foolish humans wasn't one of them, but he wouldn't admit that out loud.

Tamatoa edged over to the storage hull to grab some food, when a shadow crossed over the mast. He froze, one hand stretched out towards the supply hold. For a moment, he was sure he'd imagined it, but then the shadow passed over again. Tamatoa jerked his hand back and scooted back a bit, raising his gaze up to the sky. That was a huge shadow! Tamatoa glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of what might have cast it. When he didn't see anything, he looked back and waved at Hina.

"Hey, did you see that?" he asked. Hina nodded, her eyes already on the sky. Tamatoa held up his hands expectantly. "Well, did you see what it was?" Hina held up her own hand for silence, lowering her gaze. Suddenly, an almighty screech rang out from above them. Tamatoa looked up as a large shape dropped out of the sky, it's shriek turning into a long, drawn-out exclamation.

"CHEEEEE-HOOOOO!" The thing landed on the boat with a shuddering _thud_ , knocking Tamatoa back onto the bow. He smacked his head on the mast, sending spots spinning into his eyes. He somehow managed to pulled himself up into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his head, before having his hearing blasted by a booming laugh. Tamatoa looked up and took in the image of a hulking frame, a broad back, and a mane of dark, curly hair. He saw tattoos too, lots of tattoos. On one shoulder blade, a little ink man waved moved from his position he'd been painted in and waved at Tamatoa.

"Oh no..." Tamatoa growled, before being cut off by another bellow from the figure.

"Hina!" Hina stared up at the sudden invader, her mouth agape. Her mind seemed hesitant to process what she was seeing, because she couldn't say or think anything. The man spoke again, jarring her back to reality. "I knew I recognized this boat! What are you doing in this part of the ocean?"

"Maui?" Hina said, her voice coming out in a pathetic squeak. She was so surprised that her voice gave up.

"You cute little stick-in-the-mud, come here!" Hina said, before being seized into a bone-crushing hug by her half-brother. Maui laughed and swung back and forth as he crushed Hina to his chest. Hina couldn't help but laugh, though she barely had the breath to manage it.

"Maui...what are you doing here?" Hina asked breathlessly. Maui laughed again and gave her another squeeze before setting her back down. Hina took a moment to regain her breath and balance, an effort that was quickly thwarted when Maui slapped her on the shoulder. The little tattoo version of Maui gave her an excited wave.

"I was in the area, just flying around, when I saw Irawaru here." He kneeled down to give the boat's deck a pat. "Good Old Broken-back. Moment I saw him I just knew I had to drop by and say hello to my favorite big sister." Hina stuck her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, grinning slightly.

"Favorite? As far as you know I'm your only sibling." Hina of course knew otherwise, but she didn't need to tell Maui that. Maui shrugged, still smiling.

"Yeah well, here I am. So, where are you headed?" Hina opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a very loud, very terse clearing of a throat. Maui jumped at the noise, looking wildly around. "What was that?" he asked. He crouched a bit, eyes narrowed. Hina swallowed. Her surprise at seeing her brother again had distracted her. She forgot that him being here might not be the best thing.

"Um, well, I picked of a...a passenger," she said slowly. Maui relaxed a bit.

"A passenger?" Hina nodded.

"Well, where is he?" Another throat clear. Maui turned around. Hina peered to the side of him. Tamatoa stood before Maui, his fists clenched at his sides, his chest heaving, his features folded into pure rage. Maui frowned for a moment, then his eyes widened as far as they would go and his mouth dropped open.

"Tamatoa?" he gasped. He ran a hand through his hair. "Is that you?" Tamatoa didn't answer. Instead, he reeled back and launched a punch right into Maui's face. Maui toppled backward with a huff, completely caught off guard.

"That was for ripping my leg off!" Tamatoa snarled. Maui clutched his face and stared up at Tamatoa.

"What-?" he started, but Tamatoa didn't give him time to speak. He slammed his other fist into Maui's jaw, using so much force Maui was thrown back to his feet. Hina jumped to the side onto the float, horrified.

"That was for stealing your hook back!" Maui tried to reach down for his hook, which he had dropped after the first punch. Tamatoa once again was too fast for him. He lifted his foot, balancing on his peg, and kicked Maui square in the chest. Already caught off balance, Maui flailed for a few seconds before toppling off the stern and into the water with a great splash.

"And _that_ was for knocking me onto my back and leaving me to die!" Tamatoa roared. He turned and raised his peg to kick Maui's fishhook into the water, but Hina quickly moved to intercept him, snatching up the hook and putting a restraining hand on Tamatoa's chest.

"That's enough!" she barked. She realized she wasn't exactly angry with him; if she was being honest, Maui definitely deserved Tamatoa's wrath. But justified anger could only go so far; plus Maui might actually do something to him if Tamatoa touched his hook. Tamatoa scowled at Hina, but he didn't move to retaliate to her interference, which Hina took as a good sign. Maybe beating on Maui had been cathartic enough for some of his anger to wain. "You've made your point," Hina said steadily. Tamatoa _tch_ -ed and turned to spit off the port.

"I'm not apologizing," he muttered. Hina sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not asking you to," she said. She gave him another gentle shove, then moved over to the stern to see if Maui needed any help. He promptly burst out of the water, sputtering and shaking his head. When the demigod finally caught his breath, Maui planted a hand on the stern and hauled himself back into the boat. He glared at Tamatoa and took a menacing step forward.

"You want a fight, crab cake?" he snarled, reaching for his hook. Tamatoa leveled his own glower at Maui and moved in closer. They stood with their faces inches apart, growling like predators, flexing threateningly. Hina quickly wedged herself between the two men and pushed them apart.

"I said, enough!" She shouted. Maui and Tamatoa winced a bit at the volume in her voice, but didn't stop frowning at each other.

"He started it," Maui said. He glanced down and saw Hina holding his fishhook. "Can I have that back, please?" Hina held it out of reach, giving him an impatient stare.

"Not unless I can be sure you won't start anything," she said. Maui gave an affronted cough.

"I just said _he_ started it," he said, his voice creeping towards a whine. "He punched me, three times!" He pointed an accusatory finger over Hina's head at Tamatoa's face. "And, the last time we met, he tried to _eat_ me!" Tamatoa sniffed.

"What, you're mad I didn't try to eat you this time?" he sneered. "Sorry, but I don't think you can fit anymore." Maui growled, but Hina pushed him again before he had a chance to advance.

"Stop it, both of you!" She threw Tamatoa a scolding look. He put his hands up defensively, though he looked like he might laugh. Maui, however, wouldn't drop his anger.

" _What_ is he doing here?" he asked. "And why is he...um...?" For a moment, confusion crossed Maui's eyes. Tamatoa rolled his eyes.

"Why am I human?" he snapped, and nodded towards Hina. "Ask her. She's the reason I'm here." Hina bit her lip, thinking hard. How was she going to explain this? The last thing she'd expected during this journey was to have her half-brother drop in for a visit—then again, a lot of unexpected things had happened over the last two days. She wasn't sure if she should try to get him to leave or persuade him to stay. If he stayed, he would be a big help if they ran into more trouble; he actually had all of his magic powers. But on the other hand, he and Tamatoa would probably butt heads the whole time. But that wasn't the only problem...Hina wasn't given much time to consider what she would do, because Tamatoa decided for her at that very moment. He waved dismissively at Maui and turned back towards the bow.

"Please get rid of him," he said to Hina. "It's bad enough I have to spend this journey in this body; I'd rather not also have to spend it being reminded I can't squash your idiot brother with it." Hina nearly laughed, but she caught it before it slipped out. Laughing at a comment like that would definitely hurt Maui's feelings. As Tamatoa turned around, Maui caught sight of the coconut crab tattoo on his back. Maui's eyes widened once again, and his mouth parted in utter shock. Hina glanced back and forth, the realization of what was happening delayed an almost absurd amount. Luckily, her brain finally kicked into gear before Maui had a chance to find his voice.

"Um, Maui," she said, waving to get his attention. Maui blinked a couple of times, then glanced down at her. "I've gotten myself into a situation. I think you might want to-"

"Have a chat with you?" Maui interrupted. Hina frowned.

"What?" But Maui ignored her and called back at Tamatoa.

"We'll be right back there, Big Guy," he said. Tamatoa whipped around.

"What?" Maui smiled and waved. He grabbed Hina's wrist.

"We just need a moment to talk alone. Watch the boat, would you?" Before either Hina or Tamatoa could say or do anything, Maui dove sideways off of the boat into the ocean, yanking Hina with him.

Tamatoa yelled and ran to the back of the boat. He kneeled down and frantically scanned the surface of the water, panic rising in his throat. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't have said that comment about Maui being an idiot. He'd been angry, but why wouldn't he be? He loathed the very sight of Maui; he didn't want to have spend more time around him than he needed to. But he supposed it wouldn't be too hard to imagine Maui would spirit Hina away and leave him stranded if he was insulted enough. Or, maybe Hina wanted him to take her away...Tamatoa had turned away for a moment; maybe the demigod siblings had conversed in a way he couldn't hear.

 _No...Hina wouldn't just walk away. She promised she would help me._ But, he had punched her brother, thrice.

"Hey!" Tamatoa called. "Hina! Where are you? Don't leave me here! Hina!" He didn't see anything for a disturbing amount of time.

 _Oh gods..._ But then he finally spotted something, at least two yards away. Tamatoa squinted. There they were; Maui and Hina were bobbing among the gentle swell of the sea, treading water to stay in the same spot. From what he could tell, they seemed to be conversing. They were too far away for him to hear what they were saying. Now that he at least had them back in his sights, Tamatoa ground his teeth in an annoyed grimace. "Maui, you chunky jerk!" He slammed his fist into the deck, and promptly winced at the pain.

"Any particular reason why you just tried to drown me?" Hina demanded, wiping seawater out of her eyes. It was lucky it was so hot today; only the first few feet of ocean was warm enough to comfortably stand. A chill nipped at her toes. Maui, treading water in front of her, _pff_ -ed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that," he said. "You and I both know you're a better swimmer than me. I just wanted to have a word with you without _him_ listening in." He jerked his thumb back towards the boat. Hina could see Tamatoa watching them from the deck; he seemed to be shouting something, but she couldn't hear what it was.

"Well, you could have at least warned us," Hina muttered. "Poor guy probably thinks I've abandoned him." When she looked back at Maui, he was staring incredulously at her.

"Poor guy?" he said. " _Poor guy_?! Hina, why is he here? What is going on?" He swam closer and pointed at Hina's throat. "And where is your necklace?" Hina blushed, then quickly felt at her waist. Being pulled forcefully into the water and then swimming several yards from the boat might could have dislodged the package tucked into her belt. It certainly had dislodged her headband; her braid flowed in the water behind her. Hina's panic quickly subsided when she felt the bundle of cloth, still firmly tucked in place. She looked back up and found Maui staring at her, eyebrows raised, mouth pinched in impatience. "Well?" Hina took a deep breath. She could admit that, now that they were away from Tamatoa, she felt she could speak more freely to her brother. A sliver of guilt stabbed at her heart as she remembered the kind of secrets she was keeping from her traveling companion. She'd dug herself deep on that one. But she kept telling herself it was the better decision, despite how her self kept fighting back. Maybe talking to Maui would help put things in perspective.

"Hina!"

"Alright, alright." Hina took another breath, then swam over so she was closer to Maui. She knew Tamatoa probably wouldn't hear them, but she couldn't be too careful. "Remember Te Tunaroa?" she asked. Maui made an interesting expression: it went from a smirk, to a grimace, to a combination of both.

"How could I forget?" he said. He suddenly frowned. "Why?"

"Well, he came back," said Hina. Maui let out one, humorless laugh.

"Of course he did." Hina proceeded to tell Maui all that had happened following Te Tunaroa's reappearance, up until the incident at Niue. By the time she was done, her fingers were wrinkled. At one point Maui insisted that it wasn't his fault Tamatoa had been knocked over; that someone named Moana had come up with the idea to escape the Realm of Monsters via a geyser. Hina filed the unfamiliar name away to ask him about later.

"So now we're on our way to Te Pele to break Tunaroa's curse," Hina finished. "Then I'll return Tamatoa to Lalotai, just as I promised." Maui stared at her, his face the picture of confusion. Hina waited to hear what he had to say. She glanced up at the sky and hoped he wouldn't keep her out there too much longer; the sun was starting to edge away from its high noon point. She had little time to get the boat back into position. Fortunately, Maui found his tongue.

"So, the curse turned Tamatoa..." he said, leaving a leading blank. Hina looked down at the water.

"Well, he thinks it turned him human," she said slowly.

"But I saw the tattoo," said Maui, "the one on his back. Plus, he looks exactly the same as before. Minus the left leg, of course." Hina bit her lip; she didn't miss the lack of remorse behind that statement.

"Yes."

"So, he hasn't been turned _human_...he's been turned _back_." Riley held up her hands in a shrug.

"It's hard to tell. I think the curse was meant to turn whomever touched it mortal. So, it's more like he's been turned back into his original form. But then again..."

"What?" Hina hesitated, but decided she might as well let everything out.

"I thought he was just mortal, but then a couple of things happened. When the wave approached him on Niue, the water stopped ten feet from him. The eels kept going, but the water wouldn't go any further. And then, when I was having trouble fighting off the eels, he hurled some boulders at them. Those boulders must have weighed as much as a bull dolphin, but he hocked them like they were coconuts." Maui frowned deeply.

"So, he has at least some of his powers?" he asked.

"It seems so, to a point. At least, the ocean seemed to recognize him. But he doesn't know about them; he was confused as to how he threw those boulders."

"And he has that tattoo."

"He definitely doesn't know about that." Maui made an annoyed groan tipping back a bit in the water.

"So he still doesn't have his memories?" he asked.

"No." Maui shook his head several times before letting out a drawn out growl that ended in a shout.

"This is ridiculous, Hina!" he said, exasperated. He actually splashed the water with his hands to emphasize this. "What are you trying to pull here, huh?" Hina frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Maui raised a hand.

"A couple of things, actually," he said, putting one finger up. "First, Te Pele? Really?"

"What?" said Hina. "Apikaila said she's the only one who could help us with another god's curse." Maui shrugged, clearly annoyed.

"Fine. Second, why didn't you just leave him there?" he demanded. "Why drag him along with you? What's the point?"

"Why would I leave him there?" Hina asked. Now her face was creased in confusion. "It's my fault he was cursed; I had to help him. I at least owe him for tricking him like that."

"You don't owe him anything!" Maui roared. Hina paddled back a bit, completely taken aback. Why was he so angry? Why would he begrudge her fixing a mistake?

"What are you talking about?" Maui rotated on the spot, muttering furiously before fixing her with a glare.

"Well, obviously this new curse didn't break the first curse, did it?" he spat. "So he still doesn't know anything about his past, and therefore he's still a crazy, greedy monster!" Maui clutched his head in befuddlement, eyes wide. "Why on earth would you want to help him?" He then gave Hina a suspicious glance.

"Wait, you said he doesn't even know about the tattoo on his back. So does that mean you haven't told him that that's his real body?" Hina's chest burned furiously, and her face grew so hot she took a moment to dunk her head back into the water. When she resurfaced, Maui was still staring at her. Hina's shame pulled her into herself.

"I...No, I didn't tell him that. I wasn't even sure until I saw the tattoo." Maui gaped at her.

"You weren't sure? Hina, he looks _exactly_ the same! How can you seriously not think that was him?" Hina wasn't sure if her face could get any redder.

"I know, I know! Maybe I just...didn't want to admit that it was him. It would be easier if it wasn't..." Her voice trailed off, dying in her throat. A well of emotion blossomed in her chest, so strong that she nearly forgot to keep treading water. Maui didn't seem to notice; he was still astounded.

"So you haven't told him anything?" he asked. Gulping, Hina nodded. "Why not?"

"Because...I didn't think he would believe me. He was already angry with me for tricking him; I didn't want to risk him not accepting my help." Maui groaned again and rubbed his hand down his face.

"Hina-"

"And," Hina interrupted. She felt a strong need to vent all of the secrets she'd been keeping; they just wanted to pour out of her. He was her brother; she could trust him, right? "And, I hoped his memories might come back on their own."

This might have been the widest Maui's mouth had fallen open. It was so wide that he choked on some sea water.

"Hina, come on." He somehow managed to look both sympathetic and frustrated. "You can't break-"

"A curse with another curse, I know," said Hina. "But maybe this is what was needed to do just that. Obviously the physical part of the curse has been broken; maybe the mental part just needs some time to wear off." Hina swam back a bit closer to her brother, so he could see how important this was to her as well as heard it. "He's still in there, Maui," she insisted. "I know it; I feel it. He's trying to get out of that persona he's created. He just needs time." Maui shook his head again; according to his expression, Hina had completely lost her mind.

"Hina, he's not in there." He pointed back at the boat. "That thing over there, wearing his body, isn't our Tamatoa. He's long gone. All that's left is a monster." Anger poured into Hina's heart, and her brow folded against it. Somehow the fact that Maui seemed to be attempting a semblance of understanding for her feelings made things even worse.

"He isn't a monster," she said, and Maui pushed out a huff.

"Yes he is," he said through his teeth.

"No he's not. He's different; he's been changing-"

"He's a monster, Hina!" Maui suddenly yelled, hurting Hina's ears. "I know! Don't you remember what happened when I tried to bring him back?" Hina winced at the bitterness in his voice. She remembered; she'd fought hard not to this whole time. "I went looking for him just days after he was banished. I thought maybe the memory loss hadn't set in yet; I was dead wrong." Maui slapped the water angrily, sending a mini wave over both of them. "He didn't listen to a word I had to say. All he knew about me was my reputation, legends. He had no idea what I was talking about. Eventually, he decided he was annoyed with me, so he decided to try to _kill_ me." Maui's face crumpled. Hina saw how raw the pain of that day still was, even if it was a thousand years ago. "He went full out, Hina. Not a hint of holding anything back. That was why I had to rip off his leg; it was the only way to distract him long enough for me to get away." Hina nodded.

"I know." Maui held up his hands.

"So, there's nothing left to say. Tamatoa isn't coming back, no matter how much you want it to happen. You can't fix what the gods break." Maui sighed, seemingly sinking in to his own thoughts. Hina breathed hard through her nose, pushing down the tears that threatened to surface. After a few moments, the spoke up.

"He's our friend, Maui," she said softly. Maui's face cracked into an ugly frown, his eyes shining.

"He is not our friend, Hina," he growled. "Didn't you hear anything I said? Our friend is gone."

"But he was our friend," Hina said forcefully. "and part of him still is. It's being held down, but it's still there. We can still help him."

"Oh, open your eyes, Hina!" Maui burst. "If he didn't recognize his own face and body when it first showed up, then he's not going to remember anything. He was my best friend; he was _your_ best friend! And he still treats us like dirt; he doesn't give an inch for us!" He leaned in menacingly. "If he turned back into a giant crab, he would kill you in the blink of an eye." He snapped his fingers, and Hina flinched again, swallowing the sting.  
"Not anymore," she hissed. She said it more to herself than to him. "He's different, I swear. I know he wouldn't hurt me anymore." Maui threw his eyes skyward, but Hina grabbed his shoulders, nearly pushing him down by accident.

"Hina!"

"You don't understand," said Hina. "He stood up for me. He's just acting this way because of what's happened between you two. He's trying to seem tough." Maui pushed her away with a snarl.

"Stop it," he snapped. "Hina, that's enough. We can go round and round this all day and get nowhere. Besides," he muttered, pouting a bit. "Sounds like you've got somewhere to be." Hina then looked up at the sky and felt a jolt. The sun had moved a little more. If they didn't get back to the boat and catch up with it, they'd lose the path to Te Pele. Hina gently pushed past her brother and started swimming.

"I'm sorry, Maui," she said over her shoulder. "I hope we meet again soon." But before she got any farther, something large and strong rose up from the depths beneath her. Hina gasped as she was gently lifted up onto the back of a fully grown humpback whale. A few glances revealed, however, that the whale bore the signature marks her brother bore in any animal form. His voice rumbled up from his great throat.

"Just because I don't agree with what you're doing doesn't mean I'm going to leave you to deal with this alone," said Maui. "You're crazy, but you're also my sister. I haven't seen you in a thousand years; what better way to rekindle our relationship than with an insane adventure?" Hina couldn't help but smile; her little brother may have been a thick-headed meathead sometimes, but once you had his loyalty, you had it for life. She just hoped Tamatoa wouldn't knock Maui off of the boat again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Maui's great whale tale carried them back to Irawaru in a few strokes. Tamatoa scrambled back from the edge of the stern as Hina stepped smoothly off of Maui's back. Tamatoa stared as Maui shifted back to his normal form in a flash of blue light. The two men regarded each other like a pair of territorial iguanas, before Tamatoa finally broke eye contact to focus on Hina. He heard the smug chuckle from Maui, but channeled his annoyance into a hard puff out of his nose.

"So, care to explain what that was all about?" he asked Hina. The demigoddess looked like she was physically struggling to bottle something up for a moment, then she gave him a polite smile.

"Just some petty sibling squabble," she said pleasantly. "Nothing you need to worry about." She nodded to her brother. "But, Maui will be accompanying us to Te Pele. And before you complain," she said, cutting him off right as he opened his mouth. "He would be very useful in helping fighting off any more hurtles Te Tunaroa might throw at us. So you'll just have to deal with it." She gave him a pat on the shoulder, then edged past Maui to settle back into the steering divot at the stern. "Now, we've lost a bit of ground on the sun, so I'll have to open the sail for a bit. Maui, would you mind unfurling the sail?" Maui moved up the deck towards the mast and halted in front of Tamatoa. The two sized each other up, eyes narrowed, for a few moments. Tamatoa was a little surprised to find he was the same height as Maui now; they were perfectly eye to eye. Maui outclassed him in bulk, though. Eventually, Tamatoa snorted and scooted out of the way, clipping Maui on the shoulder as he passed. He heard Maui mutter something, but purposefully ignored it.

They caught up with the sun in very little time; it was so quick that Tamatoa and Maui both had to help take down the sail in a hurry, so they wouldn't overshoot the sun. The rest of the day was spent slowly paddling along at a slug's pace while Maui prattled on and on about his latest adventure. Tamatoa flipped back and forth between lying splayed on his back on the float rack and lying on his stomach at the bow, his head hanging down and his hand trailing in the water. He went from bored to annoyed to bored to angry to nearly asleep to furious to nearly insane. Just to irk Maui, when the demigod came to the part where he and the human girl arrived at his cave, Tamatoa decided to sing a reprise of his self-glorifying song "Shiny". He belted it so loudly that Maui was forced to tell Hina that part of the story right into her ear. Tamatoa only stopped after he was sure enough time had passed for Maui to finish. At that point Maui promptly shouted a string of insults and light profanities at Tamatoa for about a minute. He tried to get some support from Hina, but from where Tamatoa was sitting, it sounded like she was laughing too hard to be of any help. Tamatoa grinned to himself

After long last—long, long, _long_ last—the sun began to sink into the sea, bathing the air and water in orange and purple light. Hina kept her eyes fixed on the horizon. She had to keep going straight east until the moon rose, to stay on the path the sun had laid out for her. Only by staying true could Hina ask the moon to take her to Te Pele. And even then, the hard part was still to come. Hina glanced down from the skyline to her two passengers. Tamatoa was snoring, slumped over against the mast with his chin on his chest. Maui flipped his hook in the air and caught it several times, lying on his back and taking up most of the deck. Hina was internally thankful that the two of them were occupied; it might make it easier for her to focus on the task at hand.

The moment the sun fell beneath the curve of the earth, a thunderous, all encompassing roar rang out from the depths of the sea. Hina tensed, hunkering down a bit where she sat. Tamatoa jerked awake and Maui sat bolt upright, hook raised.

"What was that?" Maui asked. Before anyone could say something, another roar tore through the ocean. At the mast, Tamatoa stood up, his eyes growing round. Hina ratcheted her attention on him.

"What?" she asked. "What is it?" She realized he wasn't looking at her; he was looking behind her. Hina slowly peeked over her shoulder. The ocean swelled around an impossibly large mass that was pushing its way from the depths to the surface. As they watched, the front half of a monstrous eel rose from the water, the back half staying submerged. It raised its massive head high above the boat, its yellow eyes fixed on the three travelers. They stared back, frozen in place. Fear burned hot and painful in Hina's chest. It was Te Tunaroa; he'd found her again.

Hina became vaguely aware of someone shaking her, but she couldn't wrench her gaze away from Tunaroa. His eyes had her trapped in their grip.

"Hina! Snap out of it!" Maui's voice rang in her ears, and Hina found the strength to pull herself back to reality. She looked up. Maui was kneeling I front of her, his hand on her harm, his other hand gripping his hook. Behind him, Tamatoa stood resolutely in the middle of the deck. He gripped the mast and the shark-tooth club she'd given him. His stance was confident, but his mouth trembled slightly; he was trying to be brave. Seeing this spurred Hina's sense of survival. She tugged on the rope controlling the sail. The fabric caught the wind and the boat shot forward, just as Tunaroa's jaws came crashing down into the water.

"How did he find us?" Maui shouted, staring back at the monstrous eel. Tunaroa took up chase and gained ground fast, roaring his frustration. Hina shook her head, unable to answer. She had to keep her eye on the eastern horizon; she had to show the moon she was dedicated to this path.

"Maui, can you distract him?" she asked tensely. Maui must have had the same thought process as her, because he was already transforming halfway through her sentence. He shifted into his favorite form, the giant hawk, and swooped at Tunaroa. The eel god didn't look up, so focused was he on his quarry. He had to pay attention, however, when Maui dove for his eyes. Tunaroa roared again and suddenly drew up, shaking his head and snapping at the flying demigod. Hina mentally urged her boat to go faster, but the wind was in control here. Irawaru could only do so much. Tamatoa ducked down onto one knee to give the sail unblocked access to the wind, and the boat picked up a bit of speed. The sea grew choppy from Tunaroa's wake, and Hina had to fight to keep to her path.

Tamatoa stared back at the eel god following them. Despite Maui's efforts, Tunaroa wasn't wavering from his pursuit. He roared and tried furiously to bite at the hawk, but he didn't abandon the chase for long. Tamatoa cursed that he was reduced to a fleeing victim; if he had been his normal size he could have at least been a decent distraction. Except for the fact that he couldn't swim. He grit his teeth in frustration. So he was pretty much useless either way. He glanced down from the horror behind them and settled his gaze on Hina. She held her jaw clenched in her resolute focus on the path they were taking. Everything about her was the picture of determination, except for her eyes. Those darn eyes of hers never failed to show her true thoughts or feelings; no wonder she hadn't looked him in the eye when she first asked for his help. She was terrified; she, the demigod of the moon, was desperately afraid. Given her history with this god, he could hardly blame her.

For some reason, this made Tamatoa even more angry. Hina was doing all the work here; he should be able to do something to help. Plus, Maui was getting another chance to show off and be the big hero, while Tamatoa was forced to cower on the boat and be protected. He used to be a fearsome force of nature; now he was just a bystander, a passenger. Yet, his mind was split on such a concept, something that seemed to be happening more and more each hour he spent in a human body. One part of him said he should be blaming Hina that he was in this situation. After all, she was the one who had tricked him into getting himself cursed. But then the other part of him, the one that had developed after he was cursed, told him it wasn't entirely Hina's fault. It wasn't even mainly her fault; the real culprit was following them with destructive intent. It was Te Tunaroa who had brought him here. Te Tunaroa had taken Hina's necklace in the first place. Te Tunaroa had cursed her necklace and hid it in the realm of Monsters. Te Tunaroa who had pushed Hina to the desperate point of asking Tamatoa for help. It was the god's fault, not the demigod's. Since that god was posing the most immediate danger to him, Tamatoa was inclined to agree with this side of himself. But there was still nothing to be done about it. So, Tamatoa hunkered down on the deck of Irawaru, glaring up at Te Tunaroa as he gave chase, hating the position he was in. And, on a level that rose closer and closer to the surface, he hated what this god was putting Hina through.

Hina glanced again behind her. This time she tried not to focus on Te Tunaroa, who had finally started to lose ground on them thanks to Maui's efforts. She watched the sky instead, looking for the moon. As soon as it was high enough within sight, she would be able to steer the boat onto the moonbeams. Tunaroa wouldn't be able to follow her then. The sky was shifting from purple to inky blue-black, and stars were peeking out from the retreating daytime. The moon should be showing her face soon.

Tunaroa lunched and came crashing down inches from the boat, sending it surging forward on the resulting wave. Hina snapped her attention back to steering Irawaru. Luckily her attention hadn't wandered enough to lose the eastern path. But it seemed that Maui's distraction wasn't quite working enough to throw the eel god off of their tail. Hina's gaze caught on Tamatoa, kneeling in front of her on the deck. He held his club in one hand, staring resolutely at the monster behind them. Hina thought back on how he'd pretty much rescued her back on the beach of Niue. She got an idea.

"Tamatoa," she said, raising her voice over the wind. He flicked his gaze over to her. "I need you to blow into the sail," said Hina. Tamatoa's expression accused her of madness, but she nodded. "Please, just try it. Take the deepest breath you can." Tamatoa sighed, then stood up and faced the sail. Hina saw his back flex as he breathed in, then bend back in as he blew into the sail. The boat shot forward so hard and fast that Tamatoa nearly fell over.

"What the-?" He looked back at Hina. She gave him a strained smile and nodded.

"That's great," she said, "keep it up." Tamatoa's eyes were round as sand dollars, but he nodded and turned back to the sail. He blew into it again, and the boat rocketed forward again. Hina heard a frustrated bellow behind her, and looked back just in time to see Te Tunaroa dive down beneath the water. Maui circled the section of ocean where the god had disappeared. Tunaroa didn't reappear. Maui gave a shriek and wheeled down towards the boat. He hovered a bit before shifting back into his normal form, landing with a thunk on the deck.

"I guess he gave up," said Maui, flashing a grin. Hina didn't reply, staying focused on her task. She doubted that Tunaroa would just give up; they would have to stay on the alert.

"Is the moon up yet?" she asked. Maui looked up behind her, then cracked another smile.

"That's a yes, my sister. Take us away!" Hina glanced back and saw the moon, diagonally level with the boat. As soon as she met its gaze, she could feel the moon's power reaching out towards her. It beckoned her to alight onto its beams. The moon was anxious to help her, provided she could prove her resolve.

"Hunker down, you two," she said, pulling back on the rudder. The boat jerked upward, tumbling Tamatoa off his feet and into Maui. The two men growled at each other, but quickly pushed away and kneeled down on the deck. Hina put her palm down on the smooth wood beneath her. "I need you to help me on this, old friend. I can focus, but you need to do the heavy lifting." She then closed as much as she could out of her mind, and set her sights on Te Pele.

Irawaru rose up, leaving the surface of the ocean completely. It levitated vertically towards the sky, floating on the gathering white light of the moon. Hina held the rudder steady, her eyes closed in concentration. All she had to do was think about getting to Te Pele, and the moon would do the rest. Suddenly, there was a shout from one of her passengers, followed by a heart stopping roar right in Hina's ear. In what felt like slow motion, Hina twisted around to look behind herr. Her gaze met the massive yawning maw of the father of eels. He was so close Hina could see right down into the black abyss of his gullet. His jaws were nearly wrapped around the corner of the canoe, with his teeth far above Hina's head and below the keel. His great body stretched up into the sky from the sea down below.

Hina had but a second to react, as she heard the creak of Tunaroa's jaw bone. She wrenched the rudder to the right, lurching the boat out of the way just as Tunaroa snapped his mouth closed. Unfortunately, the maneuver wasn't clean enough. Hina felt searing pain down her left calf; on of Tunaroa's teeth scored her leg as his jaw cam crashing down. The impact nearly dislodged her from the boat, but Hina managed to hook her arms around the rudder, leaving her feet to dangle over the side. Tunaroa fell back down towards the ocean, only to launch himself back up towards them as soon as he broke the surface. The boat hadn't made it far enough into the air to be unreachable. Hina's feet flailed as she tried to pull herself back up, but she was at too awkward an angle to gain leverage. As the eel god rose at the boat again, mouth open wide, someone grabbed Hina's wrist. She looked up to see Tamatoa lean over the side of the boat, reaching over to grab her underneath the elbows. Behind him, Maui launched himself off of the deck over the two of them.

Hina's yell of alarm was cut off as Tamatoa hauled her back up onto the boat. The two of them toppled over each other, but Hina quickly picked herself up and rushed to the port side. She saw Maui free falling towards Te Tunaroa, his fishhook drawn back over his head, his battle cry carried on the wind. Tunaroa must have been caught off guard by this sudden attack, because he closed his mouth to stare up at the demigod falling towards him. Maui responded immediately. He swung his hook down in a sharp arc and slammed it right between Tunaroa's eyes. Tunaroa grunted and shook his head vigorously. Maui landed on the great eel's nose, then quickly leaped back up into the sky. He changed into the giant hawk and flew towards the suspended boat.

Tunaroa recovered quicker than Maui had expected, however. He stretched up and opened his jaws once again, easily overtaking Maui. Hina cried out and pointed frantically. Her brother heard her and tried to veer to the right, but Tunaroa's gape was too great. With a snap, his jaws closed around Maui. Hina screamed, horror clutching at her heart. A flash of light peeked through the eel's teeth, and then Tunaroa's mouth was forcefully pried open from the inside. Maui reappeared, thrusting his limbs out to spread Tunaroa's jaws apart. Even from nearly a yard above them, Hina could see that Maui was straining. She quickly whipped off her headband, gripped it in one hand and wrapped her braid around the other, and threw the loop of her braid down. Her hair extended like a black rope, dangling far below the floating boat.

"Maui!" Hina shouted. Her brother looked up, grimacing with the effort to keep Tunaroa from crushing him. "Grab on! Hurry!" With visible effort, Maui shifted his weight and tilted himself so that the bulk of Tunaroa's upper jaw was on his left hand, then slowly reached out with his right. Hina willed her hair to extend further. Maui lunged and grasped it. Tunaroa immediately began to thrash his head back and forth. Hina was nearly pulled right out of the boat, if Tamatoa hadn't been there to seize her around the waist. But that wasn't enough to quite keep the two of them stable. They would have both tumbled out of the boat if Tamatoa hadn't grabbed a rope before grabbing Hina. Luckily, the rope was attached to the mast; it pulled tight, nearly dislocating Tamatoa's shoulder. He grunted and struggled to walk backwards enough to wrap the rope around Hina's waist. With the rope secured, Tamatoa encircled her torso with his arms and bent his knees to drop his center of gravity.

Despite Tamatoa's efforts, Hina still fought to keep her footing and her grip on her hair. Tunaroa pulled so much she couldn't gain any leverage to try tugging Maui out of his mouth. She could see Maui struggling to keep from being crushed. Eventually, he fell to one knee, and Tunaroa's upper jaw closed in on his shoulders. Hina was forced to bend forward, and Tamatoa was nearly lifted off of his feet. He dropped further, nearly squatting. Hina's body burned all over; she felt like she was being ripped apart. She swallowed hard, and looked down at her brother. Maui's tight gaze met hers, and something unspoken passed between them.

"No..." A pained smile crossed Maui's face. Then, so suddenly it was like there was no moment that happened between, Maui disappeared. The loop of Hina's hair snapped in two, and she and Tamatoa were thrown back onto Irawaru's deck. A thunderous crash sounded below. Hina quickly picked herself up and ran to the stern. Ten yards down, the ocean swayed innocuously, as if nothing had happened. Te Tunaroa was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Maui. Hina opened her mouth, but no scream came out. Her throat were empty, as was her heart. She turned around and knelt at the stern, and heaved out a sob.

Tamatoa blinked a couple times, trying to clear his vision; he must have smacked his head on the deck when he'd fallen back. He sat up, and immediately regretted it as an intense headache stabbed him in the brain. And, if that wasn't enough, his whole body ached something fierce. Straining one's muscles had much more intense consequences when the skeleton was on the inside. He didn't have time to wallow in his pain, though, as the boat suddenly tilted at a steep angle, and dropped several feet. Tamatoa slid dangerously close to the edge, his foot catching on the outrigger's float. He yelled and clawed his way back up the deck. The boat rotated back to a straight orientation, and Tamatoa fell down again, hitting his mouth on the port edge. Cursing, he pushed himself to his knees and spat, blood staining the wood of the deck. Tamatoa rubbed his mouth and looked towards the stern. His eyes widened.

Hina was slumped over the rudder, her hair streaming like water down her neck and back, piled at her knees. Her headband hung limply in her left hand, and her right arm was curled at the rudder in a weak attempt to steady herself. She shook from head to toe, sobs pouring out of her throat, hard and rough. Tamatoa's gut clenched; he could guess what had just happened. Personally, he didn't know how to feel. He didn't really think it mattered either way; Hina wasn't focusing on their destination anymore, and the moon had noticed. Either because it had a relationship with Hina or because the boat itself was flying under its own power, but they hadn't yet plummeted to their deaths. He doubted that would be true for long; if Hina didn't get her mind back on track, they were done for.

Tamatoa crawled towards the stern, then had to stop as the boat dropped again. The sheer force of the fall lifted Tamatoa ever so slightly off the deck. The boat halted, and he slammed back down. Tamatoa winced at the impact on his knee, but swallowed it and continued towards Hina. She didn't even seem to notice what was happening; she just kept crying. The boat wobbled, but Tamatoa grit his teeth and focused on his goal. At least he could keep a clear head; why was that? Despite everything that had happened, he was more resolute than ever. Tamatoa pulled himself in, and reached up to grip Hina's shoulders. When she didn't stir, he gave her a shake.

"Hina...Hey," he said. His voice was hoarser than he'd expected it would be. He swallowed, and tried again. "Hey, Hina. Snap out of it." Hina looked up. Her face was partially obscured by her hair, strands of it plastered to her skin by the tears soaking her cheeks. Her normally bright eyes were hollow and dull. Something inside her...seemed to have died. A feeling wrapped itself around Tamatoa's heart. He wasn't sure what it was; it wasn't an emotion he was familiar with. Or, was he? His increasingly divided self argued that he had indeed felt this before, and that he hadn't. Either way, he didn't have time to feel it. He had to do something to get Hina focused again. He gazed into her eyes, not sure if she was really seeing him.

"Hina, listen to me," he said, both as gently as possible while allowing some sense of urgency. "You've got to focus. Your boat friend can only do so much; you need to get your mind back on getting us to Te Pele." Hina opened her mouth like she wanted to speak, but all she could manage was a weak hiccup. She seemed to take a moment.

"My...My brother..." she choked, fresh tears bubbling from her eyes. "Maui...He's...He's..." Tamatoa's throat tightened, and he squeezed her trembling shoulders.

"I know, I know," he said. He was surprised at how soft he was talking to her. The situation was dire, yet he was taking care with her feelings. At this point, though, he wasn't going to question it. She would do the same for him...she would. "I'm sorry, Hina, really. But, we've got bigger problems." As if to prove his point, the boat tilted, nearly unseating them, then righted again. Tamatoa shuddered, but kept his eyes on Hina. "The moon won't let us stay up here much longer, not unless you prove you're serious about going there," said Tamatoa. "You have to focus. Think about going to Te Pele." Hina heaved a bit, her face wretched with grief. Her head drooped.

"I...I can't," she whispered. "I can't do it...It hurts." The boat plummeted another foot, and bounced up and down a bit. Panic prickled Tamatoa's spine. He raised his hands to frame Hina's face, and pulled her back up to look at him. She tried to look away, but he gave her a shake. Her eyes rose once more to meet his. He leaned in so he was sure he was all she could see.

"Hina, stop it," he hissed, his lip curling in a snarl. "I know you're sad; I'm not telling you not to be. But if you don't get your mind right, we're both going to die." Hina made to say something, but Tamatoa shook his head angrily. "Don't argue with me! You dragged me into this mess, remember. I'm not letting you give up now, not when we're so close. You promised you were going to help me change back; are you really going to back out now?" Hina gulped.

"I..."

"You're brother made his choice," said Tamatoa. "He decided to do what he had to, to help you. Now you're just going to let that sacrifice be in vain?" Despite her grief, Hina stonily clenched her jaw. Tamatoa leaned in closer, his nose nearly touching hers. His gut burned a bit, and his heart fluttered, but he ignored it.

"Please, Hina," he said, his voice cracking a bit. He nearly choked on his own emotion. "Please. I can't do this without you. I...need you. I need your help." His hands shook a bit. Hina's eyes widened, and she inhaled softly. "Don't give up, Hina, please. You can do this; we can do this." He saw Hina raise a hand to touch one of his. He knew he should have batted it away, but he didn't feel like he wanted to.

"Tamatoa..." He pulled back a tiny bit, setting his mouth in a determined line. He needed to be strong for her; someone had to be.

"Think," he said. "Think hard. We need to get to Te Pele. We need to get to Te Pele." Hina nodded, her eyes drifting closed.

"I am."

"Now, say it," he said firmly. "The moon needs to hear it. You're the demigoddess of the moon; you tell it what you need. We need to get to Te Pele." Hina nodded, her lip trembling.

"We need to get to Te Pele," she said breathlessly. "We need to get to Te Pele."

"Now," said Tamatoa, "make it happen. We _will_ get to Te Pele."

"We will get to Te Pele. We will get to Te Pele." White light started surrounding the boat, obscuring the sky above and the ocean below. Tamatoa chanced a glance up, and saw the moon, huge and bright, taking up the entire space around them. It was so great he couldn't look at it for too long, for fear of burning his eyes. Instead, he kept his gaze on Hina. She was all he should be focusing on; she needed him. He needed her. She was all he needed...wait, what?

Tamatoa shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He let Hina's words fill his reality.

"We will get to Te Pele. We will get to Te Pele. We will get to Te Pele..."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Gentle waves sounded on all sides. The air was still and slightly warmer than one might have thought.

 _It's lost...It's lost...Pick it up...Pick it up...No, no. Me...Not them...It was me...It was me..._

Tamatoa gasped, and his eyes flew open. He was still kneeling in front of Hina, palming her cheeks. She looked like she was dozing a bit, but her lips were still moving. Tamatoa cautiously removed his hands from her face and moved back. He noticed they didn't seem to be moving anymore, and looked around.

The boat was sitting on the shore of yet another island, so far up onto the sand it might as well have been moored. Light waves lapped at the bottom of the stern. It was still night time, stars hanging around the moon, which was now slightly above them. The beach they sat on led up to some grass, then almost immediately to a dense jungle. A huge mountain rose up out of the tees, tall and dark even against the night sky. That hadn't been there when they'd landed on Niue, so at least they hadn't turned around. That could only mean...

"Ha! It worked!" Tamatoa stood up and jumped off the boat onto the sand, and immediately regretted it. He'd almost forgotten the physical extremes he'd just put himself through; as a result, he had to freeze against the painful spasms that wracked his body. When the pain subsided, Tamatoa still managed a smile. It felt great to be back on solid land. "We made it! Not bad there, Your Moon-ness." He looked back at Hina, grinning, only to gasp. Hina had pushed herself to her feet, only to sway violently and slump over. "Whoa, hey!" Tamatoa rushed over as Hina pitched sideways off the boat. He caught her just before she fell face-first into the water. She was completely limp, her limbs and head hanging like beached seaweed. Tamatoa hefted her up as best he could, holding his breath against more muscle pain. "Hina, what's wrong?" he asked tightly. Her head lolled against his arm, and her eyes fluttered but didn't wake up. He heard her murmur something, but it was so quiet he couldn't make out what it was. He leaned in to listen again. "What? What is it? What's wrong with you?"

"Too...Too weak," she whispered. Her voice was weak; she seemed to be having trouble just stringing words together, or at least having trouble moving her mouth. Tamatoa tried to keep her in a semi-standing position, but she sagged heavily against him.

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you weak?" Hina shivered.

"It took...a lot to...keep the boat straight. The moon demanded...a lot of me." Tamatoa sighed, and had to adjust his footing as she dropped more weight on him.

"Okay, okay," he said gruffly. "Just hang on a sec." He bent down and lifted her into her arms, cradling her against his chest. She leaned into his shoulder and sighed with exhaustion. Despite himself, Tamatoa blushed.

 _Stop that,_ one part of him chided. Tamatoa shook his head again and turned towards the beach, looking for an appropriate place to set up camp. The beach was shallow, quickly flattening right before it reached the grass at the foot of the jungle. Tamatoa shuffled over to the spot he found that looked most level, taking care not to trip over the thick train of Hina's hair. He set her down as gently as he could, then turned back to get sleeping mats from the boat. However, he felt a pressure on his arm. Tamatoa turned to see Hina weakly gripping his wrist.

"What?" he asked. "I'm going to get us something to sleep on. Hina shook her head once, too weak to manage any more. Her eyes were still closed.

"My leg...it needs bandaging. And...we need a fire." Tamatoa looked down. He'd forgotten about the wound Te Tunaroa had managed to inflict on her during their escape. He leaned down to get a better look. It was a long and slightly jagged cut on the outside of her calf, running from the side of her knee to her ankle. The wound was deep enough that blood still seeped from the exposed flesh, but it didn't seem to need stitches. Luckily he'd set her so no sand had gotten in it yet, but it would still need binding heal properly. Tamatoa grimaced; he didn't know how to treat flesh wounds.

"You're going to have to walk me through this," he muttered. Hina nodded and winced.

"Bandages are in the boat," she whispered, "with the sleeping mats. But we need a fire first. Use driftwood." Tamatoa sighed again, but nodded and stood up. It wasn't as if he had any reason not to do what she told him; she was no good to him injured. Plus, she needed his help. He couldn't decide which was more important.

"Alright, I'll be right back." He turned to leave, but Hina said something he couldn't hear. "What?" She breathed before trying again.

"Bring a spearhead too, next to the food. And...grab my headband, please." Tamatoa nodded, then remembered she still wasn't able to open her eyes.

"You got it, milady," he said.

Tamatoa took a couple trips to and from the boat to bring the appropriate supplies. He settled Hina on a sleeping mat, making sure her injured leg was facing up, put the supplies to the side, then went to find some firewood. Despite the gentle movement of the waves, plenty of driftwood had washed ashore, ripe for collecting. Tamatoa followed Hina's instructions as best as he could. He dug a small divot in the sand to stick the wood in, then used a flint and a rock to strike a fire. He blew on the flames until they caught enough of a blaze. He put Hina's headband at the end of her length of hair, and it slowly reattached to the strands. The hair even re twisted itself back into a braid. Hina was on the verge of passing out, but she managed to stay awake to tell Tamatoa how to dress her wound.

"Take that spearhead, and put it so an edge is in the fire," said Hina. Tamatoa frowned and looked at her.

"What?"

"Heat the edge of the spearhead," she said. "Have it sit in the fire until the edge steams. Then, set the edge to my wound." Tamatoa coughed in surprise.

"Whoa, whoa, what? You want me to burn you?" Maybe the demigod had gone a bit mad from exhaustion.

"The heat will seal the flesh and stop the bleeding," Hina said softly. "It will keep the wound from festering as well. I don't think you could handle stitching it, so you'll have to do this instead." Tamatoa bit back a retort; he didn't think he could handle a stitch either—he was already queasy from looking at the wound so long—but he didn't like the weakness being pointed out.

"Fine, I'll do it." Tamatoa set the spearhead halfway in the fire, then went off to get some food and the water skins. He also pulled the boat all the way onto the beach, just to be sure it didn't get dislodged by the tide. After about twenty minutes, the spearhead was steaming. Tamatoa carefully picked up the cool side between his fingers.

"Okay, it's hot enough," he said, "now what?" Hina didn't respond at first; she seemed to have drifted off. Tamatoa sighed, then leaned over and gave her a shake.

"Hey, wake up," he hissed. "I've got a hot stone here." Hina inhaled sharp breath and trembled.

"Set it...to the wound," she said. Tamatoa leaned over, but hesitated again.

"Um...so, how do I do this?" he asked.

"Don't hold it...for more than two seconds," she answered. "And move touch it in spots, not all at once." Tamatoa nodded, but still wasn't sure.

"Won't this hurt?" he asked. He wasn't very familiar with wounds of the flesh, but based on how much he was hurting, he imagined it wouldn't feel great to have hot stone pressed to an open laceration. Hina managed to open her eyes, look up and give him a weak smile.

"I'll deal with it," she said simply. Tamatoa's throat tightened; she'd put herself through so much already, and now she was showing a brave face at the prospect of her flesh being burned. He realized how much he didn't want to hurt her; he wanted to spare her as much pain as possible. Tamatoa shook his head, growling to himself.

 _Don't be such a wuss_ , he scolded himself. _She's a demigod; she can handle a bit of heat._ But he couldn't help it; the prospect of hurting Hina was giving him an ache in his gut.

"I'll try to do this as quickly as I can," he said gruffly. Hina gave a weak nod, and clenched her fist. Tamatoa breathed in deeply, swallowed, and then pressed the edge of the spearhead to the top of the wound in her calf. Hina winced, nearly jerking her leg away from him. But she quickly stilled herself, her hands trembling, breathing heavily through her nose. Tamatoa counted to two in his head, then quickly removed the spearhead. The scent of burning flesh curled in the air, nearly making him gag. He held his breath and touched the stone to the next few inches of the wound. So he continued, quickly and carefully, for the next minute or so. For her credit, Hina didn't move again or make another sound.

Finally, Tamatoa sealed the last inch of the wound. For all the terrible smell, it didn't look like he'd actually killed any of the tissue. At least the bleeding had stopped. He then took half of the bandages and wrapped Hina's leg up tight, after making sure it was cleaned. Exhausted, Tamatoa settled back onto his sleeping mat and let out a sigh. He flexed his hands, which ached after such an extended period of careful minute work. Having sated his hunger for the evening before patching Hina up, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. On the other side of the fire, however, he heard a whimper. Tamatoa opened his eyes and looked over. Hina's face was creased in pain, and she shivered despite being near the fire. Tamatoa sat up, frowning.

"Hey," he said leaning over, "you okay?" Hina's lips twitched, but she didn't answer. Tamatoa rose to his knee and scooted over to her side. He put a hand on her shoulder, and felt her tremble beneath his palm. "Hina, are you asleep?" Hina whimpered. Without opening her eyes, she reached up and took his hand in hers. Tamatoa's eyes widened, and a heat spread into his chest. "Hina?"

"Don't...go," Hina cried softly. "Don't...go. Don't leave...me." Tamatoa leaned in; she was saying it so quietly he'd had a bit of trouble hearing her.

"What? I'm right here; what are you talking about?" Hina shook her head, her eyes still closed.

"Don't leave...Don't go..." She said again. "Toa...don't go."

Tamatoa reeled back, his heart suddenly racing. The sound of that name had dropped on top of him like a falling rock. It was like he was standing on a cliff edge, teetering precariously. He blinked, shook his head, and took several deep breaths. He hadn't gone anywhere; he was still on the beach, kneeling beside Hina. She'd said a name. He wasn't sure if she had been talking to him or if she'd just been dreaming. It probably had been the latter, yet he wasn't sure. Something about hearing that name was...unusual. It sounded almost like it could be a nickname for his own name; Toa, short for Tamatoa. He'd never been called by a nickname before, but he could somehow tell that would be it. He wasn't sure what to think. Hina whimpered again and squeezed his hand.

"Toa," she said again, "don't leave me...Toa." Tamatoa's breathing hitched again. He tried to calm himself down, but an emotion was bubbling up from somewhere deep within. It was overwhelming. Something prickled under his eyes. Tamatoa reached up to itch it, and realized tears were leaking out from his eyes. His vision swam; what in the world was happening to him. Reverting to old ways, he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He breathed in and out through his nose several times, his eyes squeezed shut. After what felt like an eternity, Tamatoa somehow managed to get himself under control. He sniffed and wiped roughly at his eyes, and looked down at Hina. She looked like she might have calmed down as well, though her mouth moved up and down still. Tamatoa heaved a sigh, his body feeling heavy. He pulled Hina's bed roll closer to the fire, then went back to his own mat. He sat there, watching the slow ebb and flow of the ocean in the dark. He was tired, so unbelievably tired, but he didn't think he'd be able to sleep.

"Toa..." Tamatoa looked over at Hina again. She was breathing steadily, but there was still unrest in her brow. "Don't leave me Toa." Tamatoa stared at her, for what felt like a long time but was probably just a minute. He then reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. He gently rubbed his thumb over her skin, noting how soft it was. "Don't leave me..."

"Don't worry," Tamatoa whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."

Hina surfaced from a heavy and restless sleep. She inhaled deeply and stretched a bit, then winced as a sharp pain flared in her leg. She looked over and saw the bandages covering her left calf. They were wrapped tightly and cleanly, and there wasn't any sign of blood seepage. Despite his inexperience with first aid, Tamatoa had done an excellent job as far as she could see. It hurt terribly, but there was nothing to be done about that. Hina looked over the back of the fire and saw Tamatoa sitting on his sleeping mat, his knees drawn to his chest, gazing out onto the ocean. He looked pensive, no really looking at anything in particular. Hina's eyes softened as she watched him, silent and thoughtful. It was so rare lately that his brow wasn't marred by a frown, his mouth not pressured into a grimace or a grit. He simply...was. She hadn't seen him so calm, not since...guilt pinched Hina's heart, and she let out a painful sigh.

"Awake, now, huh?" Hina opened her eyes and saw Tamatoa watching her. He still looked thoughtful, but there was a shadow across his eyes. Hina smiled lightly.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked. She noticed night was still hanging over their heads, so it couldn't have been long. Tamatoa shrugged.

"Not long. Maybe an hour or two." He returned his attention to the ocean. "You talk in your sleep, you know." Hina breathed a tiny gasp; no one had ever told her that before, not even Maui. She was a little embarrassed to hear it.

"I what? I don't remember that." Tamatoa scratched his head and flicked his hair back a bit.

"I didn't think you would," he said. Something in his tone sounded off to Hina, like he wasn't letting on what was behind its meaning. Tamatoa stretched and sighed, then lay down on his mat, facing Hina. They lay abreast of each other, the fire at their feet and going strong enough to radiate heat to their bodies. Shadows danced across their features and their skin was colored orange and red. Tamatoa lay his head on his elbow and looked at her, his face impassive. "Feeling any better?" he asked. Hina balked a bit, and felt a heat grow in her cheeks.

"Um...A bit," she said, looking at the fire. "You did a good job dressing the wound; I doubt it will fester. It will leave a bad scar, but where's the harm in that?" Hina heard a small chuckle from Tamatoa.

"What's one more scar, right?" Hina looked back at him. Tamatoa gave her a smirk.

"I know a thing or two about scars, babe." He held up his right leg to free his left, and gave his peg a little shake. Hina wasn't sure if she was supposed to laugh or grimace at this. Once again, guilt poked at her. She curled up a bit more.

"You know," she said, her voice meeker than she wanted, "I've never heard the whole story behind that leg of yours." She looked up again, and saw Tamatoa's eyebrows raise.

"Really?" he asked. "I would have thought your d...your brother would have bragged about that battle. He has it tattooed on himself, after all." Hina nodded, smiling despite herself.

"Oh, I've heard him tell it before," she said, "many times. But I'm curious about your side of it." Tamatoa's eyes widened, his face opening in surprise.

"My side?" he said. Hina nodded.

"Sure," she answered. "Why not?" Tamatoa looked over at the fire, frowning slightly. He reached own and rubbed at his knee just above the prosthetic leg.

"Well, it's a bit hazy, actually," he said. His voice didn't betray much at first, but then a sulky, kind of bitter tone soaked in. "Maui came to my cave one day while I was organizing my treasure—I had a bit of a system before putting things on my shell. He started yelling at me about something." He frowned deeper and rubbed at his forehead. "I don't remember what he was saying; it didn't make any sense to me at the time. If I try to remember what it was, it just sound like gibberish." He gave Hina a skeptical look. "No offense, but I might have thought he was drunk on something to be raving on like that. He wouldn't shut up. After a while, I got annoyed. I told him to go away, and he wouldn't leave. He started to threaten me. I threatened him. He attacked me; I defended myself." He scowled and crossed his arms. "You know the rest. We fought, he took my leg, he got away. You can see why I don't like him much." He rolled his eyes. "It just didn't seem fair; he turned it into some big heroic story for himself, but the truth is, he started the whole thing."

Tamatoa glanced back over at Hina, and saw her seemingly on the verge of tears. A burning rock dropped into his gut. He certainly hadn't expected his story to upset her this much; he'd expected a little reaction to him bad-mouthing her brother, but he was only being honest with her. It wouldn't be fair if he exaggerated anything. He did wonder why he cared how she took the story, but he couldn't come up with a reason. He cleared his throat and tried to look apologetic; he figured something he hadn't said before might have been a good thing to add after such a story.

"I'm, ah, sorry about what happened to Maui," he said, so haltingly he wondered if he even managed to make it a real sentence. Hina shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

"No, that's alright," she said. Her voice shook by the tiniest amount. "Maui did what he thought was right; we wouldn't have made it here if it wasn't for him." Tamatoa somehow doubted that, but he guessed she must have been referring to Maui fighting off Te Tunaroa. If that was true, then she was kind of right. "Plus, I don't think that's the last we've seen of him." That got a raised eyebrow from Tamatoa. Though it was less likely, he sure hoped she meant Maui. He didn't tell her what he was really thinking, though; he'd already upset her enough. Perhaps it was time for a subject change.

Tamatoa looked up at the sky. The moon hung above them, tilted slightly to the west. This reminded him of something he was surprised he hadn't thought of before.

"Well, since we're sharing stories," he said, turning back to face Hina. "I haven't heard yours." She blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard Maui's origin story, and you're his _half_ -sister. Surely your story is a bit different from his? Why did the gods pick you to be a demigod?" Hina's face fell and her eyes drifted. It was as if she'd seen something distressing.

"It's...not a happy story," she said. Tamatoa shrugged.

"What demigod doesn't have a sob story?" he said. "Apart from those who are born, that is." Hina breathed in deeply, and met his gaze.

"Maui and I share a father. He met my mother first; they fell in love and married young. But, my mother died in childbirth, leaving my father to raise me alone. Five years later, he fell in love with the chief's daughter. When the chief passed away, his daughter and my father married. She bore their first child within a year; a son. But, the chief was a proud, vain woman; she thought her son was too ugly to be worthy of her, much less be an heir to the title of chief. When my father was away on a fishing trip, the chief decided to get rid of her baby. I remember the day; I was six. The chief took her son to a cliff at the edge of the island, and threw him into the sea. My baby brother..." Hina paused, her mouth clenching. "I was too scared of her to say anything to my father; she simply said the baby had taken ill while he was away.

"Over the years they bore more children, ones the chief deemed worthy to be hers. Two girls and a boy; she made the boy her successor. The previous chief had always been disappointed he'd never had a son, so my father's wife wished her son to be chief after her. The years passed, and the chief became jealous of me. She...thought my looks outshone her own daughters', as well as her own. Her words, not mine. When I was an adult grown, she decided she'd had enough of me.

"When my father was once again out fishing, the chief lured me to an isolated cove. She attacked me, catching me off guard. She...slashed my eyes, blinding me. She cut all of my hair off. Then, she threw me onto a raft and pushed me out to sea." Hina rolled onto her back and gazed up at the sky. Tamatoa stared at her, unable to look away. "It was the moon who found me, who spoke to me and kept me company while I drifted alone. The moon told the gods where I was, that I deserved a second chance. They gave me new eyes and grew my hair back. They put power into my hair, so it would be the toughest material possible, growing at my whim. They gave me the necklace, my own demigod artifact. It gave me the power to see what the moon saw, and walk where the moon went. And, of course, they gave me the divine strength and immortality of a demigod. I was given new life, and a new name."

As Tamatoa watched, Hina tucked her hands behind her head and sighed.

"The first thing I did as a demigoddess was go out to find my half brother. Based on the stories told about Maui, the demigod of the wind and sea, who shaped the world as we knew it, I knew it had to be the baby the chief had thrown away." She shifted, and looked over at him. "Needles to say, I was correct." Tamatoa was unsure what to say. He had known Maui's tragic backstory, of course; most immortals did. It was the first tattoo he had earned as a demigod. Hina's, however, was more tragic than he could have imagined. He scratched his head, trying to find something to say.

"Why did you and Maui stop talking?" he asked. Hina gave him a questioning look. "It's pretty widely known that you two haven't spoken in a thousand years. Did you have a fight?" Hina's expression darkened.

"Yes, I'm afraid that's right," she said. "You see, he gave up on someone; a friend to us both. He needed us, and Maui turned his back on him." Her face tightened. "I...wasn't ready to let him go. We fought about it, and Maui and I went our separate ways. That was just before he disappeared, struck down for stealing the Heart of Te Fiti."

According to her expression, Tamatoa worried he might have upset Hina by asking about her brother. He tried changing the subject again.

"So, do you have a drawback?" he asked. Hina frowned slightly.

"Sorry?" Tamatoa grimaced; that had been a clumsy question. He was feeling a little tongue-tied for some reason.

"Well, Maui is always looking for ways to make humans appreciate him, right?" he said. "All those world-shaping deeds, it was all to get praise from the humans. Yet everyone knows it's never been enough; it's a hole he's always been trying to fill." He gave a bitter laugh. "The gods have been known to give a catch to any demigod they make." Hina looked thoughtful for a moment, then her eyes saddened, and Tamatoa worried if maybe he'd gone too far.

"I can never return to the island where I was born," she said softly. Tamatoa started. "No matter how hard I try, I can never find it. It's the one place the moon can see that I can't." She bit her lip, eyes growing bright. Tamatoa's chest tightened. "It's kind of cruel, you know. Despite what my father's wife did, I still miss my family. I miss my father, my brother and sisters. I loved them as they were my full blooded siblings. Even though I know they're all gone now, I would want to see the island where they lived." She closed her eyes and silent tears leaked from beneath her lashes.

Tamatoa's chest was full to bursting. He couldn't remember ever feeling sorry for anyone, yet here it was, right in front of him. It wasn't the shallow kind of feeling sorry either, like simple sympathy or pity. This was coming from a place of true emotion, for someone you cared for. Did he care for Hina? He tried to find an argument against such a thought, but he couldn't find anything. He simply didn't like to see her cry; there wasn't any denying it. It hurt a part of him he didn't think he had, but he was sure was there. Tentatively, unsure of himself or what might happen, he reached over and wiped a tear from Hina's cheek. She gave a small gasp and looked up at him, eyes wide.

"I'm...sorry," Tamatoa said, his voice barely a whisper. Hina stared at him. For the longest time, they held eye contact. Tamatoa was almost scared to look away. Then, Hina moved. She got up one one elbow and moved towards him. Tamatoa nearly recoiled, but something held him back. He watched her. She moved closer, still staring at him. Her face was something he didn't recognize. She moved closer and closer. She was right in front of him, her face close to his. Then, she did something very odd. Hina leaned in and touched her lips against his.

Tamatoa's eyes widened. Tingling sensations spread from his mouth all the way down his body, sending a shiver up his spine. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move; he was paralyzed. The thing was, it wasn't with fear. Hina removed her lips from his, and they stared each other down again. Her eyes widened, probably as much as his. Horror cut across her face, and she put a hand to her mouth.

"I...I'm sorry," she gasped. Her fingers trembled and her lip quivered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" She scrambled back to her mat and collapsed on top of it, facing the sky. She inhaled, then burst into tears. She sobbed so noisily that Tamatoa wondered if she could breathe. "I'm s-s-sorry for e-e-everything," she cried. "Everything that's happened has been m-my fault!" Tamatoa swallowed a knot in his throat.

"Hey, come on now," he said. "It's not all your fault. Old Daddy Eel was the one who stole your necklace in the first place." He wasn't sure why he said it, but now he believed it. "He's the reason we both ended up here." Hina shook her head, covering her eyes with her arm.

"You don't understand," she said shakily. "You...can't understand." She lapsed into quite, heavy weeping. Tamatoa grimaced and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the stars. He reached up and touched two fingers to his lips. The feeling left there by Hina's lips was still there, like a footprint in the sand. Once upon a time he would have smacked anyone who dared come so close to him, much less touch him in any way. But then again, once upon a time he was a giant coconut crab. But now...He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He knew he wasn't angry, he knew he wasn't afraid; the only thing he didn't know was what he was. From what he could tell, though, it wasn't a bad thing. He thought on it more, but Hina's sobs kept distracting him. He looked over to her. She looked so distraught, so vulnerable. So...Something pushed at him from deep inside, something he couldn't ignore. Against what little judgment in his divided self he had left, he stood up and crossed around the fire. He knelt down next to Hina and gave her a small tap on the arm.

Hina gasped and uncovered her face, and found Tamatoa sitting beside her. He was watching her with the oddest look on his face; she couldn't even tell what it was. Hina's stomach fluttered and she blushed, her previous grief temporarily forgotten.

"What?" she said, a little more accusingly than she'd meant. Tamatoa's brow folded a bit, but not in anger as far as she could tell.

"That thing you did...with your mouth," he said evenly, pointing to her face. "Why did you do that?" Hina blushed deeper and curved her arms around herself. Why would he ask her that?

"It just...I don't know," she said. Well, that wasn't true; there was a reason why she did it. The real question was, should she tell him? She met his gaze; he waited. Hina licked her lips and swallowed. "I did it because...I wanted to." Hina watched Tamatoa closely as she said this. He didn't show any kind of reaction at first. But then she saw him swallow.

"You wanted to, huh?" He cast his gaze down to the right, and Hina could swear she saw a flush spread across his cheeks. "Well, what if I said I wanted you to do it again?" The fluttering in Hina's gut flared into a drum, as did her heart beat. She looked hard up at Tamatoa. There was something in his features. He looked embarrassed for sure, but there was something else there, something she didn't recognize. At least, not on him. Hina suddenly sat up, and Tamatoa flinched a bit, his eyes wide.

"You want me to kiss you again?" she asked. Tamatoa bit his lip, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I'm not sure," he murmured. He pinched his mouth, and something that looked like pain crossed his eyes. "I don't know...Something's eating at me." He finally looked at her, and Hina saw the rawest emotion she'd ever seen in anyone's eyes. "There's something I'm feeling, in here." He put a fist to his heart and tapped a few times. "I can feel it. It's so strange, I don't know what it is." He fell silent for a moment, looking down at this knees. Hina tilted her head to try to meet his gaze again, but he met it himself. "I want...At least, I think I want...I mean, I..." He sounded so distressed, almost at war with himself. Hina slowly reached over and took his hand. Tamatoa's hand twitched beneath her palm, then his fingers curled around hers. She looked into his eyes, those same eyes she knew so well. They were bald in their confusion and turmoil, and that soft emotion she couldn't place. It made her feel warm all the way through. His lips worked up and down, like he was chewing on his words. Hina leaned in.

"What...do you want?" she asked. "Tell me, please."

Tamatoa swallowed for what felt like the hundredth time. His mouth was so dry, and his face felt hot. His gut burned and his chest was tight. Hina was staring at him in a way he couldn't quite deal with, yet he couldn't look away. He didn't want to look away. Something was tugging him towards her, pulling, pushing, insisting that he be closer, be near. It was strange, but he somehow felt like he knew this emotion, that he'd had it before. Not just that, but this emotion had something to do with Hina before, even though that was impossible. Though, he supposed it was time he stopped thinking things were impossible. Whatever this whole thing was, he couldn't ignore it any longer. If he did, he'd go mad—or at least more mad than he already was. He sighed, and took Hina's other hand. He brought both hands up between the two of them. He caressed the backs of her hands with his thumbs, and tenderness settled into his heart. At the moment, Tamatoa realized he didn't really care about the why or the how of this situation. It was pointless to keep wondering about this thing he was feeling; it just ran him around in circles. He just settled on the fact that, whatever this was, he couldn't fight it. He didn't want to fight it.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I'm really not good at this kind of thing, whatever this thing is." A light touch at his cheek brought his gaze back to Hina. She was looking at him with such affection he nearly cried. Did she feel the same way?

"You said you wanted something," she whispered. "What is it?" Tamatoa gulped. He still didn't know what to say.

"I..." But he was spared having to answer. Hina reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself against his chest. Their noses were almost touching, and her eyes filled his vision. _Oh gods,_ he thought frantically. He temporarily forgot to breathe.

"Do you want...me?" Hina asked. The question was so quiet he barely heard what tone was in it: the tiniest, almost imperceptible amount of hope. Tamatoa melted.

"Yeah," he breathed, realizing the truth in it just as he said so. "You've done something to me, babe, something I can't explain. It's...overwhelming." Hina's lips parted, her eyes bright with something that made his blood boil. He swallowed. "Do...you want me, Hina?" he asked. He hoped he said it right. He wasn't even quite certain what they were talking about. Or, at least, he couldn't place what it was. Hina gave a nod, her breathing hitching.

"More than anything." Tamatoa was sure he was going to faint. Instead, however, he brought his arms up to encircle Hina's waist, his hands at her back.

 _Yeah, that feels about right._

"So, now what?" Hina gave him a tender smile, then leaned up and once again pressed her lips to his. Instead of freezing, Tamatoa moved his mouth with hers, his eyes sliding closed. Some unknown instinct kicked in, telling him how to go forward. This felt right in so many ways he couldn't believe it. When they finally pulled apart, Tamatoa was breathless. Hina moved her lips down to the corner of his mouth and kissed a path across his jaw to just below his ear. He shuddered, but not in disgust. She nuzzled his neck, sighing.

"I wouldn't do anything you don't want me to do," she said softly. Tamatoa leaned his cheek against her head and gave her a squeeze.

"I have no idea what's happening," he said, although at this point he wasn't even sure if that was true. "You're the boss here, milady." Hina gave him a smile and kissed him again. This time, she pulled him down onto the mat.

He didn't stop her; he didn't want to.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The sunlight is what woke Tamatoa the next morning. A streak of it settled across his eyes, not-so-gently asking him to rise. Tamatoa yawned and let his body wake, waiting for the fog to clear from his brain. It occurred to him that he had, once again slept soundly that night; not a single nightmare to be had. As he came around, he realized he was cuddled up with Hina, her back to him and one of his arms draped over her. Though he hadn't actually moved yet, Tamatoa froze, his eyes growing round. A fire struck in his gut, burning high and bright. Memories of the previous night rose to the surface, and the heat spread throughout his body. He wondered when exactly they'd fallen asleep; he'd lost track of the time.

Carefully, so he didn't disturb Hina, Tamatoa eased himself off of the sleeping mat. He kicked a bit of sand over the dying fire, picked up a banana from their food basket, and decided to take a walk down the beach. He had a lot to think about.

The sudden absence of warmth is what roused Hina. She slowly inhaled and stretched, and realized that she was alone on the sleeping mat. Hina looked back; Tamatoa was gone. Worry prickled at her spine. Why would he leave so early? Was he angry with her? He hadn't indicated anything but contentment when they finally fell asleep the night before. Maybe he was afraid? Hina eventually stopped trying to guess what he was thinking and find out for herself. She got up from the sleeping mat and followed his unique footprints in the sand along the southern beach.

As she went and the sun continued to rise, a shadow nudged itself onto her shoulders. They'd made it to the island of Te Pele. There was still something to be done, a curse to be broken. Hina wasn't sure if she had the drive to do it anymore, after all that had happened. She may have dug herself too deep a hole.

Tamatoa paced in a circle, munching on his banana. The sunlight grew brighter with every lap, turning the sea a warm purple-gold, and the air was shifting from cool to warm. His thoughts and emotions rattled around like pebbles inside him, all confused and mixed up and extreme. He wasn't even feeling the soreness in his muscles from all that exertion the previous day. Something had happened between him and Hina during their time together, something he just couldn't explain. He'd gone from hating her guts with every fiber of his being to...something else entirely. He couldn't even come up with a word for it. It wasn't just fondness, it wasn't just friendship, and it wasn't just caring. It was something deeper, stronger. And, most confusing of all, he couldn't shake the feeling he'd had this feeling all along. It had just been buried under something, or else forgotten and then remembered.

Tamatoa reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose again. Nothing made sense anymore; he'd always been so confident about who he was and what he wanted, but now he had no idea. He wasn't even sure what he was doing on this island; he'd kind of forgotten their mission until just now. Sure, he had to get his original body back...but why? After being with Hina...everything felt so disconnected. His old life was so far away, like a distant memory. He couldn't imagine walking with more than two legs now, or be giant, or have a hard shell. He wasn't even sure if this was a bad thing or not.

 _What has she done to me_? Tamatoa asked himself. _Or what have_ I _done to me_? It was like he'd split into two beings, wrestling each other for control of one another. What was he going to do?

"Tamatoa?" Tamatoa whirled around, panicked as he'd forgotten he wasn't alone. Hina was approaching him, her hands folded down in front of her. She looked almost...shy. Tamatoa forgot his confused musings. In their place, a warm glow spread through his chest. Hina was certainly becoming a distraction. Was that a bad thing? He didn't care.

Tamatoa smiled at Hina as she came near.

"Good morning, darling," he said fondly. He held out an arm, and, after a moment of hesitation, she moved into his embrace, snuggling into his side.

"I was just wondering where you'd gone," said Hina. Tamatoa rubbed his hand up and down her arm, allowing his gaze to wander into the distance. Despite the calm that settled in at Hina's appearance, some of his confusion returned.

"Sorry about that," he said, "I just needed to...ah...stretch my legs." Hina made a noise he couldn't quite give a tone to. They stood in silence for a few moments, letting the morning sun and the sound of waves wash over them. Hina shifted and took his other hand.

"Listen, I hope nothing I did last night...offended you," she said quietly. Surprised, Tamatoa looked down at her. Her expression was uncertain, almost afraid.

"Why would you think that?" he asked. Hina gave a half-shrug.

"I don't know, just doubting myself I guess." Tamatoa sighed and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I wasn't offended by anything you did," he said lightly. "And I don't want you to be sorry. I'm not." Hina looked up at him.

"You're not?" Tamatoa shook his head, his gaze softening. He gently took her chin between his fingers and kissed her. A voice at the back of his mind commented on how quickly he'd picked this behavior up. He told the voice to shut up. When they parted, Hina's eyes were half-lidded, her expression slightly dazed. Tamatoa allowed himself a small grin; he was glad his charms extended into the physical realm as well as the verbal. Hina cleared her throat, then pulled away slightly. Tamatoa loosened his hold a bit, but didn't remove his arm from around her completely. He didn't quite want to let her go yet. She still kept her hands on his waist, but loosely. Hina looked down, her brow furrowed slightly. Tamatoa looked closely; her eyes were watering.

"Hina?" She bit her lip and stayed silent for a few moments.

"Well, I guess we should head up towards the volcano," she said, her voice tight. Tamatoa's heart sank; once again he'd nearly forgotten the whole reason they'd come to this accursed island. He hesitated, acid burning in his throat. Half of him wanted to pull her back to him and insist they leave immediately. The other half yelled and berated him for even thinking of such a thing.

 _Gods, what is happening to me_? But Tamatoa remembered it wasn't just him who was cursed. It was Hina Te Tunaroa had hurt first after all. She deserved to have her powers back; if only so she could better defend herself from the eel god. Plus, she probably still felt guilty for dragging him into this mess. He didn't want her to feel guilty; not anymore.

"Yeah, right," he finally said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Hina nodded, still not looking at him. She turned and broke away from him. Their hands stayed clasped for a brief moment; Hina's trembled beneath Tamatoa's fingers. Then she let go, walking briskly towards the forest; she didn't look back.

Tamatoa's hand stayed where it was, reaching out towards the retreating demigod. A hole opened up in his heart, and wind blew through it.

Hina glanced back to make sure she was being followed. Tamatoa made his way slowly through the trees, following in her footsteps. His limp seemed more pronounced than before; he dragged both foot and peg like he was walking through sand. Hina's throat clenched and she turned away, setting her sights on the volcano. She hated herself for what she'd done to him. Not only had she gotten him cursed—again—but then she'd strung him along and invested emotion into the whole thing. After last night, it seemed so cruel to keep going with their mission. It wasn't as if she had done it shallowly, to use him for her own needs. Her feelings for him were much greater than she had understood. She wanted so much to just give in, forget about restoring her necklace and keep him with her. She could bear Te Tunaroa's wrath if it meant being with Tamatoa. It wasn't as if he really suffered because of the curse. All that was really missing were his memories...Hina cursed under her breath. No, it wasn't fair to Tamatoa. She had to stop being selfish; she'd made a promise to turn him back to his previous form. That was what he thought was normal. If she left him as is, he might resent her. She certainly resented herself.

Hina set her sights at the mountain. She had to break the curse. If she truly cared for Tamatoa...no, she didn't just care for him. She loved him, with all her heart. She had loved him before he was cursed the first time, and she loved him now. Perhaps that love had never gone away; she'd simply closed her heart to it after he had become a monster. Maui had given up on him right away; Hina had taken longer to do so. But she'd done it; she'd turned her back on the best friend she'd wanted more with. Now it was too late to hope things could go back to the way things were. Unless she could find a way to break Tamatoa's first curse, there was no going back. She had to keep her promise to him, the one she'd made to him as he was now; it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do.

They reached the base of the volcano before the sun had reached its high arc. The tree line broke and the grass gave way to lava rock. Hina craned her neck up to see the summit, dread pooling in her gut. In addition to everything else, there was a very good chance this plan wouldn't work. Te Pele was still a volatile and unpredictable deity. Even if she did hate Te Tunaroa, she had no real reason to help them. But they had to try; both of their fates depended on it. Tamatoa came up beside Hina.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked. Hina couldn't look at him; she heard the flat resignation in his voice. He'd already gone back to putting on a brave face. Hina took a moment to steady her trembling heart.

"We have to summon Te Pele," she said. "It's simple enough; Pele never hesitates to appear before mortals. You should step back, though; if she gets violent, I don't want you to get hurt." Tamatoa turned to look at her, but she didn't meet his eyes. She had to be strong; keep the path clear. Tamatoa sighed and went to stand within the tree line. Satisfied that he was far enough away, but still within earshot and line of sight, Hina kneeled at the foot of the mountain. She took off her head band and laid it in front of her, and kept her head bowed.

"Te Pele, mistress of volcanoes, lady of lava, chief of calderas, I beg of you; appear to me." For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a thunderous rumbling rose from deep underground to the summit of the mountain. A ripple of laughter echoed through the air, seemingly from everywhere at once. Hina looked up, and the volcano erupted. Or, rather, a giant woman made entirely out of magma erupted out of the top. Te Pele whipped her long, stone-and-magma hair out of her face and stretched, yawning. She rotated her head around, then crossed her arms and looked down at the mortals, her amber eyes glowing.

"Well, well, well," she said, a knowing smile carving into her molten face, "what have we here?" Her voice reverberated like an earthquake, but clear and rich in Hina's ears. "The demigoddess of the moon summons me. What an interesting thing." Hina bowed, her hand over her heart.

"My lady Te Pele," Hina greeted. Pele rolled her eyes.

"None of that 'my lady' stuff; I'm not in the mood to be fawned over this time." Hina swallowed.

"Sorry." Pele shrugged.

"Whatever. So, what brings you to my island? Must have been pretty important for you to go to the trouble of getting here." Hina stood up, putting her headband back on.

"I've come to ask for your help," she said. Pele tilted her head, then disappeared back into her mountain. Before Hina could gasp, the goddess reappeared in a blast of earth and fire, this time right in front of her. Hina jumped back, gripping her braid to keep it from burning. Pele assumed a form the size of a normal human woman, though she still had a body of magma and hair of rock and lava. She gave Hina a sly grin.

"A demigod asking for help?" she said, her tone derisive. "That's a new one. Has it anything to do with why you're not wearing your necklace?" Hina had no trouble believing the goddess could spot her lack of artifact right away, but it was still embarrassing to be reminded how obvious it was. It was like being seen without clothes. She nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Te Tunaroa stole my necklace and put a curse on it. I managed to get it back, but I can't put it on for fear of being cursed." She took out the package tucked into her sash and held it out for the goddess to see. Pele made a waving motion, and Hina unwrapped the cloth. After a moment of silence, Pele snatched Hina's necklace out of her hands. The goddess held the necklace up high between two fingers, her eyes narrowed.

"Tunaroa did this, eh?" she asked.

"Yes." Pele clucked her tongue against her teeth, shaking her head.

"Nasty old eel," she muttered. "Such a vindictive fish; spurned him one too many times did you?" Hina didn't answer. Pele sniffed, and then dropped the necklace. Hina quickly stooped to pick it up, wrapping it back up in the cloth. "Well, that's quite a nasty curse you've got there. Nothing more horrible for an immortal than the blight of mortality." Pele put her hands on her hips, cocking her head and frowning. "Wait, how did you find out about the curse?" She looked Hina up and down. "You don't have your moon powers, but you certainly aren't mortal yet. How could you know about the curse without touching it?"

Before Hina could answer Pele's question, she was cut off by a third voice.

"That's why I'm here, Your Flame-ness." Hina whipped around to see Tamatoa stride out from under the tree line. He gave a flourishing bow to Pele, putting on a charming grin and raising his eyebrows. "You're looking at the poor sap who got to test out that little curse. I'll bet not even you can guess who I am." Hina quickly looked back at Pele, nerves bleeding into her gut. She couldn't be sure Tamatoa's forward attitude would anger the volcano goddess. In fact, Hina couldn't be sure what she would say. Pele stared at Tamatoa for a while, tapping a finger to her chin. Finally, her eyes widened, and she let out an alarming scream of laughter. She pointed excitedly at Tamatoa, positively hysterical.

"Great geysers in a goddess's eye!" she exclaimed. "When I woke up this morning, I would have never guessed to be given such a laugh." She doubled up and chortled uncontrollably. Hina swallowed a knot in her throat; she wasn't sure if she liked this reaction from the goddess. She looked back at Tamatoa for a moment; he didn't look amused in the least.

"Well, I didn't think it was _that_ funny," he growled. Pele stopped laughing, and then shot back down into the ground. Before either of them could wonder where she had gone, she popped up once again, this time in front of Tamatoa. Hina had to credit him; he only jumped a little at the appearance of the goddess. Pele practically shoved her face in Tamatoa's, so much so he nearly had to bend backwards to keep his face from being singed.

"Oh really? Then you have no sense of irony, my dear Tamatoa," said Pele. Tamatoa balked for a moment, then regained his composure.

"I guess I should have known a goddess would be able to see though a curse," he said, giving his hair a toss. Perhaps he was more afraid than he let on; he always was good at putting on a brave face. Pele grinned.

"I can see who you are, alright," she said slyly. "The funny part is that you don't know who you are."

Hina's stomach fell out of her body, leaving a gaping hole. Pele could see who Tamatoa really was, that that was his real body he was in. She moved to say something, but the goddess shot her a look. Her amber eyes bored into Hina's very soul, threatening to set it ablaze. The message was clear, don't spoil a goddess's fun. Hina slowly closed her mouth, her heart pounding with dread. Pele turned back to Tamatoa, her grin lifting back into place. He eyed her with suspicion, taking a step back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Pele laughed again and leaned in, her eyes suddenly wild.

"Honestly, I don't know what's funnier. The fact that you still don't have any memory about who you are, or..." She glanced over at Hina. "The fact that _she_ didn't tell you who you are!" Hina's blood ran cold. She tried to say something, but her cry died in her throat. Tamatoa's frown deepened, and he glanced from Pele to Hina, and back.

"What...What are you talking about?" he asked. Once again, Hina tried to say something, but Pele held out a hand for silence.

"Now, now, Hina," she chided, "you didn't want to say anything before; don't try to save your skin now." She raised a fiery eyebrow. "You want my help, right? My payment is for you to not steal my thunder here." Hina's knees felt weak; she was at a complete loss for what to do. Pele turned back to Tamatoa.

"My dear, I'm afraid your demigod friend her hasn't been exactly forward with you," she said. She gave him a sideways look.

"I'm guessing you were the one to touch Hina's necklace first, right?" Tamatoa slowly nodded. Pele laughed. "Oh Hina, you sneaky little girl. Bet this was a rather nasty surprise for you, eh?" Hina said nothing. "To have your former best friend returned to you, only to realize it was only his body that came back and not his mind." Tamatoa's lip curled in a snarl.

"What are you on about?" he demanded. Hina severely hoped his tone wouldn't get him vaporized; lucky for them though, Pele was having too much fun to care. She laughed again.

"My dear, you know the purpose of Tunaroa's curse, right?" Tamatoa looked like he wanted to answer, but didn't. "It's to turn you mortal, not simply human. Whatever immortal touches it is turned into their mortal form. It doesn't effect me though, because the curse was created by a god. Therefore, it cannot effect a god." Tamatoa shook his head, confusion replacing his confusion.

"But then why would I be given a body like this? If it was going to turn me mortal, it would just turn me into a normal crab, right?" Pele laughed hard and loud.

"Oh, I'm sure it would have happened that way if you were simply an immoral monster crab," she giggled. "The only problem is, you're not just some immortal monster, my dear. You're much more than that." She moved in close and once again leaned in, making him recoil. "My sweet, simple Tamatoa, you are a demigod. A real, true demigod."

It took a long time for Tamatoa to process what he had just heard. It was so absurd that his brain didn't want to accept it. In fact, it was so ridiculous that he had a much easier time finding humor in it. Tamatoa laughed, in a way that almost felt forced.

"Sorry, Madam Magma, but I think you've spent a little too much time in the ground," he chuckled. He grinned and turned to Hina. "This lady, am I right?" But then he actually saw Hina's face. She was looking down, her mouth twisted, her eyes narrowed in what looked like shame. Or was it pain? It was familiar...it was the expression she'd worn on the beach, when she pulled away from him. Tamatoa's chest grew hollow. "Hina?" He took a step towards her, but Pele held out an arm to block his way, grinning like a fool. Tamatoa looked around her at Hina. "Hey, Hina, she's joking, right? Or at least lying...right?" Pele laughed again.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm afraid I can't lie," she said. Tamatoa rapt his gaze onto her, his heart starting to race.

"What do you mean, you can't lie?" he asked. Pele grinned. She looked manic.

"Just that. I'm a goddess; as such, I cannot lie. No god can lie, especially to mortals. It's our one weakness." She winked at him. "A demigoddess, however, is fully able to lie. Isn't that right, Hina?" Tamatoa looked back at Hina, but she wouldn't meet his eye.

"Hina..." This didn't make any sense. Why would this explosive goddess tell him such a thing? Why wasn't Hina saying anything? He glared at Pele, despite how unsettling it was to be eye-to-eye with such a powerful being. "Explain yourself, Your Flame-ness." Pele snickered.

"Oh gladly." She held up a finger. "You see honey, your father was a mortal, but your mother was a goddess. When you were given immortality and your divine artifact, you went off to see the world. While out and about, you made some friends. One of them is standing in front of you." Tamatoa's eyes widened, and looked at Hina. She still wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Hina and I...were friends?" Pele nodded.

"The best, as were you and her brother Maui. You three were quite the trio back then, doing deeds, slaying beasts, normal demigod stuff, and thick as thieves." Tamatoa shook his head; he couldn't believe it, any of it. Him and Maui were friends? That was impossible...And he realized how often he'd thought that in the last few days. He closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard.

"What...happened?" he asked.

"Something rather tragic, actually. The three of you went a little too far one day, and unfortunately you angered the wrong god." She cocked her head, her expression haughty. "Te Uira, the god of lightening." Tamatoa felt a pierce in his skull.

 _Lightening_... "You decided to take the wrap for what the three of you did, and the Uira cursed you." She crossed her arms and gave him a sideways grin. "For your selfless act in defending your friends, Uira turned you into the monstrosity you think yourself to be normally, and banished you to Lalotai." She chuckled. "But that wasn't enough for him. He also took away your artifacts and threw them away, and he took away all your memories. Your life, your friends, your family, everything; all that he left you was your name. Oh, and that sense that you lost something." Her grin turned almost devious. "You at least know about that, right? Always looking for something, but never knowing what it is you lost." Tamatoa trembled, a cold dread creeping under his skin. He didn't just remember that feeling Pele was talking about; he knew it perfectly.

 _Don't drop it...Don't drop it..._ Things that once seemed uncertain fell into place. It was why he coveted treasure, shiny things. Why he could never drop anything without going insane over it. He had to pick up what he dropped, no matter what it was. Tamatoa swayed, and he widened his stance to steady himself. His vision blurred a bit; he put a hand to his head, his fingers twitching. This couldn't be happening; this couldn't be real.

"...Prove it." The words came out so small and quiet Tamatoa wasn't even sure if he'd said them. Pele held a hand to her ear.

"Pardon?" she said.

"I said prove it," he said. He finally found his voice. The fog cleared, and he curled his lip in a snarl. "You say a goddess can't lie, but this is all too fantastic. Prove what you're saying is true!" Pele pouted thoughtfully, her eyes to the sky. Tamatoa waited; he found he couldn't tear his gaze away from the goddess. His breath stayed held. Finally, Pele snapped her fingers, an inspired smile growing on her face.

"Alright, I have just the thing." She held out her arm. The magma making up her limb shimmered and boiled, then began to expand into an oval. It grew to her height, then smoothed over several times. Eventually, the oval was reflective enough that Tamatoa found himself looking at his own reflection. Pele tapped the side of her head with a finger, and blinked a couple of times. Then, she walked around until she was standing behind Tamatoa. As she did it, the image in the mirror rotated around, showing him from the side, and then finally from the back. In the next instant, Tamatoa was looking at the back of his head.

"What the-?"

"This mirror is very special," said Pele. "It shows whatever my eyes are seeing. What I'm looking at right now is the one thing that can prove you are who I say you are." Tamatoa looked at the reflection for a few moments, not seeing anything he wouldn't expect. Perhaps that was why it took him so long to realize something was off. Tamatoa gasped. He heard Hina make a noise he couldn't identify, but he didn't pay much mind to it. In the mirror, he saw the reflection of his back for the first time. He'd never thought to wonder what he looked like from behind since turning into a human; he could already tell he didn't have a shell anymore. But, his back certainly wasn't bare. On his skin, a tattoo was etched, the largest single tattoo he'd ever seen on a human. It stretched from his shoulder blades to the base of his spine just above the waist. It was solid, too; it must have hurt to have that done. The image depicted what was unmistakably a coconut crab. Its body was colored black and red, and in the middle of its shell was a golden swirl. It was the same swirl that was naturally carved into his shell, unseen when no treasure was piled on top of it.

"There, you see?" Tamatoa heard Pele's voice in his ear. Her breath was boiling hot on his skin. "There is only one person who is known to have this tattoo; when you became famous as a demigod, so did your tattoo. I'm sure that was how Hina realized you had been turned back into a demigod." Pele chuckled. "Since you were already cursed when you touched the necklace, you were merely turned back into your normal form. You're not quite mortal, but you're not quite back to your old self either. Especially since you still don't have your artifacts." She sighed, and suddenly the mirror whipped away, turning back into her arm. Tamatoa continued to stare at the spot where it been. "It's kind of sad when you think about it; to be back in your own body and not even know it. I can only imagine how it must be for poor Hina." Tamatoa started, and slowly moved his gaze over to Hina. The demigoddess was trembling and biting her bottom lip. He couldn't tell if she was sad or ashamed; either way, she looked close to tears. "To have your best friend back, and yet still be a total stranger. So sad, so sad."

Tamatoa stared at Hina, his breath heavy in his throat. He tried to say something, but his mouth was too dry. He licked his lips and tried to swallow.

"Hina...Is this true?" he asked. Hina inhaled sharply, then finally looked up to meet his gaze. Everything was there, just as he'd feared. Grief, anger, regret, shame, all were spelled out clear as day in Hina's green eyes. She couldn't hide it, so she wasn't trying. Everything Pele said was true, and she had known the entire time. Tamatoa nearly fell forward; he put his peg leg out to steady himself. All feeling seemed to rise up out of his body, leaving nothing but emptiness. Emptiness, and a giant, horrid lie. "I...see," he said, and started to back away. Hina gasped and reached out towards him.

"Tamatoa, I can explain," she said, her voice quivering. Tamatoa shook his head, her voice echoing in his ringing ears.

"No...Don't..." He shook his head again, and again, and again, harder and harder, faster and faster. He was spinning, spinning out of control. "Stay away, stay away from me!" He turned and bolted into the jungle. His limp hampered him from gaining much ground, but he kept going. He had to run, he had to get away.

"Tamatoa, wait!" Hina yelled. She started to follow him, but a burst of fire cut across her path. Hina screamed and back pedaled, glancing around. Pele stood beside her, holding her arm out in the direction the flames had come.

"Now, hold on there, Hina," the goddess crooned. She raised an eyebrow, a slightly affronted look on her glowing face. "I thought you were here to ask for my help. You summoned me, after all, and while I enjoy the entertainment you provided me, I'm certainly not going to just forget why I came here in the first place." She put her hands on her hips. "So then, how about it? What do you want of me?" Hina stared at the goddess in horror. She called revealing the truth to Tamatoa, robbing her of the chance to do so and ruining his whole perception of who he was. She hadn't been planning on telling him, thinking it too late. But, if she had been given the chance, she would have done so much more gently than Pele did. Now the illusion was shattered. What was she going to say to him now?

Hina shook her head, gritting her teeth.

"Why did you do that?" she asked shakily. She balled her fists and stamped her foot. "Why did you tell him the truth?! And so bluntly too! All you did was hurt him!" Pele shrugged,a careless smile on her face.

"It was funny," she said simply. "Don't blame me for your decision to keep him in the dark this whole time. If you didn't want him to get hurt, you should have told him who he was the moment he was cursed." She suddenly shifted from amused to impatient.

"Come on now, out with it," she said. "Why did you summon me?" Hina scowled, but realized she couldn't forget the reason they'd come this far. She at least owed Tamatoa that much.

"Fine," she said tightly. "I summoned you to ask you to break the curse Te Tunaroa put on my necklace." She patted the pouch on her side. "And, since you decided to tell him the truth about who he is, I also ask that you break both curses on him, and return him to his original state as a demigod." Pele sighed, her brow curving in exasperation.

"Of course you would ask that." She held up her hands. "I'd love to help you, sweetheart, I really would, but I'm afraid I can do neither of those things." Hina started, her heart skipping a beat.

"What? Why not?" she shrieked, surprising herself with how shrill her voice came out. Pele put a hand to her ear, pouting again.

"You've gotten yourself into too bad a fix, I'm sad to say. As much as I would love to muck up Tunaroa's plans for you, I can't intervene in this instance."

"Why?" Pele sighed again.

"Another drawback to being a god is that we can't interfere with each other's magic. We can influence mortals, sure, and we can fight each other head on, but we can't directly have any effect on another god's magic. It's too different and too powerful. You're going to have to break this curse yourself, and Tamatoa have to break his too." She snickered. "Unless either Tunaroa or Uira decide to break their curses themselves, but that's probably not likely." Hina's gaze fell to the ground. Grief washed over her like rain, bringing her to her knees. How could she be so foolish? How could she not know gods couldn't influence the magic of other gods? She'd dragged the two of them all this way for nothing. Everything they'd gone through had been for nothing. All of it; the curse, Niue, the wave, the chase, the moon travel, and summoning Te Pele. All of it had been for nothing. Perhaps, even, the night spent together had been for nothing; after what she'd done, she doubted Tamatoa would want to ave anything to do with her.

 _What have I done? I've hurt the one I love so badly._ Even when she tried to stop being selfish, it had been too late. Hina put her face in her hands, trying desperately not to cry. She rocked back and forth, sucking air in and out of her mouth. She had to try to calm herself. There was still work to be done. Now was not the time to give up.

Hina stood and brushed her hands on her skirt, her eyes stinging.

"Thank you for answering my summons, Te Pele," she said softly. "You've honored me with your attentions. I guess I'll be on my way." She turned to leave.

"Hang on," Pele said, and appeared in front of Hina again. "Just because I can't break your curses directly, doesn't mean I can't give you a hint as to how you may do it." Hina balked, surprised.

"What?" Pele gave her a smile, the first genuinely friendly smile she'd shown since appearing. "You asked for my help, didn't you? If I decide I'm going to help a mortal, it will be in any way I can." She held up two fingers. "The thing with curses is, they're really not as hard to break as you may think, especially if one has been cast by a god. Usually there's a lesson to be learned in the curse; just what that lesson is depends on the nature of the curse." She pointed to Hina. "Yours, for example, is made to make you mortal. If you had actually touched the necklace, well, you'd be worse off than you are now. Certainly worse off than Tamatoa.

"So, the question is, what is the lesson to be learned from that?" Pele grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Though, knowing Tunaroa, he wouldn't actually have a lesson in mind when cursing you. Still, it's the best way to approach a curse, regardless of motive behind it." Hina frowned in confusion.

"A lesson? About mortality?" Pele nodded.

"Almost certainly. As for Tamatoa's, well, it was inflicted on him because he was reckless and took the fall for you and Maui. He wasn't being responsible, at least not in Uira's eyes. He lost his artifacts, possibly the worst mistake a demigod can make. He didn't just take the rap for you two either; he bragged abut what he said he'd done. So, Uira threw away his artifacts, took away his powers and his memories, and cursed him to be stuck in his favorite shifted form. If there isn't a lesson in there, I don't know what is." Hina thought on this; she supposed she could see the lesson in that. If anything, should they fail in learning how to use the lesson, there was always the option of finding Tamatoa's artifacts. She'd be willing to do it, no matter how long it took. She'd do anything for Tamatoa.

Hina nodded, and stood up, fixing her determination in place.

"Alright, that helps a lot," she said. "Thank you, Pele. I appreciate it." She still felt bitter about Pele's decision to blow the cover off of Tamatoa's story, but there was nothing to help it. Gods would do whatever their whims demanded; she was lucky Pele hadn't been in a melting mood. The goddess waved the thanks away; she looked very satisfied with herself.

"Oh, think nothing of it," she said airily. "I live to serve mortals on occasion. Thank you for entertaining me for a little while; I get so few visitors nowadays." Te Pele gave a little flourishing wave, then sunk into the ground with a rumble and a burst of flames.

Hina turned her back on the volcano and headed into the jungle, making an effort to not view this day as a total waste.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tamatoa ran until he reached the ocean. When waves washed over his foot and peg, he ground to a halt. He doubled over, his hands on his knees panting and on the verge of panic. He wanted to somehow believe that everything that had happened in the last few minutes had been some kind of fever dream. Maybe he hadn't actually woken up this morning. Maybe the warmth on his back from the sun was being felt by a prone body still sleeping on the beach, curled up next to Hina...

Tamatoa shook his head and let out a growl that ended in a near yell. Hina; she'd lied to him. She'd lied. Why would she lie? He'd finally convinced himself he could trust her, that he'd grown to like her, maybe more than he'd cared to admit. Yet here was a huge, _huge_ part of himself he didn't even know about, that she had known about, and she hadn't said anything about it. She'd promised to break the curse from Te Tunaroa, to change him back into a giant coconut crab, when she knew that wasn't the real him.

That was another thing; he wasn't really a giant monster crab? He'd had some long forgotten life that was taken away from him by yet another god's curse? He was a demigod; a real demigod, with a divine parent and a mortal parent? Not even crab parents? What about what he could remember? He'd always been sure about when he came from...hadn't he? The more he thought about it, however, the more Tamatoa wasn't actually sure about his beginnings. He knew he hadn't always been giant; he was sure he had some memory of crawling around a beach as a tiny little juvenile. But, none of those memories were really clear; in fact, they seemed to change every time he tried to recall them. The were like vapors, wisps of transparent smoke. Come to think of it, maybe he'd never had memories to begin with; he simply had been. Always proud; always searching; always mad.

Tamatoa gripped the sides of his head, snarling in frustration. His whole world was being turned inside out. He didn't know what was more distressing; the fact that he wasn't at all who he'd thought was, or the fact that Hina had known about it the entire time. If they had a history together, why would she want to keep it a secret? Surely she would have known he'd changed back into his supposed original body? Tamatoa thought hard, and realized something.

 _That night, after we left Lalotai_. She'd been upset about something. She had been sitting behind him at the time; she must have seen the tattoo on his back. If that tattoo was so singular, it must have tipped her off about what he'd become. And yet she'd said nothing. Why? Why wouldn't she tell him about himself? Tamatoa desperately hoped he hadn't done it out of malice; she'd seemed truly distressed to see him transformed. But, then she'd promised to change him back, to return him to his cursed form. She was content to let him live in this lie, to think he'd been deformed. She was going to let him live on as a monster, when he was back in the body he was supposed to have. A body he didn't remember; a body that was strange to him. Yet, it didn't feel strange, not anymore. He hadn't given it much thought, but after he'd started walking, he'd felt more and more...well, comfortable in this body. The sensations were different, certainly, but not frightening or repulsive like he'd expected them to be. And the emotions; he couldn't be sure if the emotions were tied to this body or not. Maybe they were remnants of the memories he'd lost. It would explain why they felt familiar, even if he couldn't recall experiencing such emotions. Hina wanted to just take that all away from him, to ease her own conscious? She forced herself back into his life, made him feel all this, made him feel...for her, and yet she kept all of this to herself. Tamatoa's heart slowly twisted and grayed; he felt like part of him was dying.

"Tamatoa?" He froze; for a moment, all he heard was his own pulse, heavy and loud. He somehow managed to pull himself back into his body and turn around. Hina stood a little ways away, watching him. She held her body turned slightly facing away from him, in an obviously defensive position. She must have been afraid of what he would do, at least partly. Tamatoa glowered at her, thinking how appropriate it would be for her to fear him. Fury bubbled up like magma inside him; he actually had to force himself not to pounce on her. Instead, Tamatoa stocked over and got right up in Hina's face. She recoiled, both to his satisfaction and disgust. A small part of him felt bad about it; he successfully squashed that part.

"Tamatoa, I-"

"Shut up!" he snarled. "You knew about all of this...You knew about everything, didn't you?!" Hina winced, pain twisting her features. She brought up her hands in an effort to put something between the two of them.

"I'm sorry-"

"You knew about me and you said nothing!" Tamatoa raged. He threw his hands up, unable to figure out what to do with them. "You think saying 'you're sorry' now is enough?" Hina's eyes grew bright with tears. She wrung her hands.

"You're right to be angry," she said softly. "I was selfish, and I was afraid. I was worried about what happen if I told you the truth."

"Like what? What did you think would happen?"

"I...I didn't think you would believe me." Hina put a hand to her mouth, her fingers trembling. "You'd turned back into your demigod form, but it was obvious your memories hadn't returned. You were so upset with what had happened, I figured it would just make things worse to try to tell you the truth." Tamatoa fumed, clenching his fists so hard his palms stung.

"What kind of excuse is that?" he yelled. "I was too upset? What are you, a child? You could have waited until I'd calmed down!" Hina's mouth and brow curved down; suddenly, she looked angry.

"Oh please!" she snapped, raising herself on her toes. Tamatoa took a step back, much to his chagrin. He was supposed to be the one igniting fear. "Be honest with yourself; would you have believed me if I told you you were a demigod two days ago?" Tamatoa paused. Now that she mentioned it, he supposed he hadn't been in any kind of mindset to believe such a story. Tamatoa shook his head, growling between his teeth.

"Maybe not, but things changed. You should have told me at some point." A thought dawned on him, and he pointed an accusatory finger at Hina. "You were going to tell me this morning, weren't you?" Hina's anger floundered a bit, then dropped right off of her face. Tamatoa stepped back up to her. "Were you?!"

"I wanted to, yes," she said. She looked up at him with pleading. "I wanted to so badly, but I thought it was too late. If I told you now, after everything we'd gone through-"

"You could have asked Pele to help break my curse!" Tamatoa interrupted. "Or at least return my memories. Or, something! Instead you were going to consign me to living the rest of my life as a monster!" Hina made a noise of misery and turned away, hugging herself.

"I'd made you a promise," she said softly. Tamatoa roared in frustration, nearly tearing his hair out.

"You lied to me!" he said again. "I don't care how or when or what I was saying or doing at the time! You still lied!" He leveled as hard a glare at her as he could muster. It was odd, but Tamatoa was sure he was angrier at Hina now than he had been when he'd been cursed—for the second time, apparently. She'd hurt him in a much more personal way. "I trusted you, Hina," he said. Hina gasped, her eyes growing round as pearls. "That's right," Tamatoa spat, "I trusted you. You can't pretend nothing has happened over the last few days. Something's...changed, between us." His glare faltered as more vulnerable emotions started to force their way to the surface. There was nothing he could do to stop it. "I trusted you with my life, with my feelings. I trusted you with...my..." He blushed furiously at the memory of the previous night, and turned away. His eyes stung.

"Tamatoa..." He snarled and glowered at her again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "The real reason; I know there's something you're not saying." Hina gulped, and her tears spilled forth. Tamatoa told himself not to let them affect him; it was difficult. "Tell me, Hina."

"I hoped that, maybe, your memories would come back on their own," she whispered.

Tamatoa gaped at her. For a moment, all he could feel was shock. Whether it was in confusion or at the thought that Hina could be so foolish as to leave things to fate like that. Had she learned nothing?

"Explain yourself," he growled. Hina sniffed.

"I thought that if your body had returned, your mind could heal easier. Maybe since the physical part of the curse was gone, your memories would be free to return." She held up her hands, asking for understanding. "You still had some of your powers. The wave that Tunaroa sent; it didn't want to hit you, at least the water didn't." Tamatoa narrowed his eyes, his confusion growing.

"What are you talking about?"

"The wave; it stopped well before it hit you. The eels were flung out of the water because it stopped so suddenly. The ocean recognized you, and it wouldn't hurt you." Her voice hitched a bit, desperation oozing out. "And you threw those boulders; you still have some of your divine strength." Tamatoa found himself blushing again; were those things signs he'd been a demigod all along? He'd been so confused by everything; why didn't he consider the reasons for these happenings. "And you felt it too," said Hina. She gave him a look that unsettled him so much he had to turn away. Hina latched onto this. "Didn't you? You said you felt things you thought were familiar. Maybe you do remember something-"

"I don't remember _anything_!" Tamatoa yelled, stomping his peg again. "Nothing Pele said sounded familiar! I don't have any memory of being a demigod. I barely have any memories at all! I've never...I've always just assumed..." He clenched his teeth and growled again. "It's useless, Hina. All Tunaroa's curse did was change my body. Maybe I've felt...some things I haven't before, but I don't remember anything." He breathed in rage. "You can't break a curse with another curse, right?" Hina sobbed, clasping her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Tamatoa," she sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry. I was foolish, I know that. Please, please let me fix this." She suddenly ran up and threw herself at him, nearly knocking him over. She clutched at his necklace, tears streaming down her face. She almost looked mad. "I know you're still in there," she sobbed. "I know it. You can feel it can't you? You have to remember something, anything. Please, Toa; you have to. Let me help you, please!"

Despair carved its way into Tamatoa's heart. He realized how much he wanted to remember, and he could see how much Hina wanted it too. He'd felt it when they'd spent the night together; there had been something between the two of them. Maybe it was something left over from his life as a demigod, maybe it was something that had grown between them during their time together. Whatever it was, it was something. He wanted that; he wanted to remember it and take it back, make it his. He wanted to be with Hina more than anything. That still didn't change the fact that she'd lied to him. She'd lied to him about who he was, about what he was. What if he wasn't anything like the person he'd forgot he was? Who did she care about; him or the person he was? If she'd lied to him about who he was, why wouldn't she lie about that? He couldn't know, and right now, he didn't want to know.

Tamatoa put his hands on Hina's shoulders and pushed her away.

"You hurt me, Hina," he said, his voice suddenly weak. "I...can't be around you anymore. I need to leave." Hina grabbed his wrists before he could pull away.

"No, please," she whispered. "We can fix this. Let me help you break your curse. I don't care about my necklace, or Tunaroa. I just want to help you." Tamatoa shook his head, bitterness in his mouth.

"Help me, or the person I used to be?" he asked. Hina started. Tamatoa tch-ed. "This person you keep calling me, Toa; that's not me, is it? That's the demigod I used to be." Hina also shook her head.

"No, you don't understand-"

"You're right, I don't," Tamatoa said. He gave her a little push and turned away. "And I don't think I'll find any answers with you." He sagged under the weight of everything that's happened. "How could I stay with you if I can't trust you, Hina?"

"Tamatoa, please." He walked forward until he stood in the waves kissing the beach.

"I can't do this anymore," he said. He saw a stone half-buried in the sand and picked it up, his gaze floating to the horizon. "I'm going home." He vaguely registered Hina cry something out behind him. He pulled back and threw the stone out as far as he could. It skipped all the way towards the curve of the earth before disappearing. There was a flash of green light, and he left the beach behind him.

Hina screamed as a green light blinded her. She threw up her hands to shield her eyes, but the light disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared. When Hina finally looked up, Tamatoa had disappeared. Hina let out a broken sob, her knees buckling. Tamatoa must have used a spell to return to Lalotai. She'd heard of explorers and immortals finding a way to transport to the Realm of Monsters by invoking the power of the green flash. It could be used even before sunset, provided you had the will to do so.

Hina bent in her grief and wept into her hands. Everything had fallen apart so completely. She'd driven Tamatoa away with her selfishness and greed. Why couldn't she have told him the truth about himself; she could have just kept at it until he believed her. No, she knew why she did it. After turning her back on him for a thousand years, giving up on any chance of his curse being broken, she was afraid of how he would react. Instead of trying to make amends, she avoided having to face her mistakes. She didn't want to admit that she could have helped him long ago. And now she'd paid for it.

Hina cried and cried until the sun sank behind the volcano. The sand turned orange and then blue in the dying light. When she finally couldn't call anymore tears forth, Hina looked out onto the ocean. She felt as empty inside as the day Te Uira had cursed Tamatoa. She didn't even know how to break the curse on her necklace. She had no one to blame for herself. Hina rubbed her face and sighed.

 _What a mess._ Something had to be done. She couldn't just leave things as they were; not again. Hina realized she had two options: she could move forward and find a way to break the curse on her necklace, or she could go to Tamatoa and fix what she'd broken. It took her no time at all to find the right answer; it was so obvious she wondered why she'd have to think about it at all.

Hina stood up and marched back up the beach towards the spot where they'd slept the previous night. She picked up the bedrolls and food and stowed them back on board Irawaru. Then, she pushed the boat back into the water and hopped aboard. She took up the oar and paddled out beyond the breakwater, then tugged on the rope to unfurl the sail. The wind joyfully rushed into the fabric and pulled the boat forward with a hard yank. Hina set her eyes on the eastern horizon, her mind clear and her heart heavy. She wasn't one to be beaten so easily, and she wouldn't run away any longer.

Tamatoa craned his neck to gaze around his cave. He felt so very small on the cave floor, so far away from the hole in the roof. The sky above was dark as night had set in, so he couldn't see the schools of bait fish that usually circled the porthole. Upon closer inspection, Tamatoa realized the clams shell was still closed from the last time he was there. A few bits of treasure were scattered here and there, but their glint was obscured by the dark. The dark of the cave coupled with the natural dark of Lalotai outside nearly made the cave pitch-black, safe for some bioluminescent algae. They ringed the bottom of the cave walls in a green glow. Tamatoa used their dim light to find his way to the giant hole just off the center of the the cave floor. He remembered digging it a week ago, in a frantic attempt to to seize the Heart of Te Fiti. It had been a trick, of course, and was why he'd ended up on his back outside his cave moments later, where Hina found him...It seemed so long ago, like from a different life. Given that he didn't remember his previous life, it almost seemed ironic.

Tamatoa gazed into the hole, its bottom invisible in the dark. After some thought, he lowered himself into a sitting position and pushed off the edge of the hole. He slid on his rump down the side on the soft sand, and landed with a soft thud at the bottom. He didn't bother getting up again; he hugged his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. His eyes sliding closed, and the tears he'd been holding back finally won their freedom. His stomach growled, but he didn't care; hunger was insignificant to someone who didn't know who he was. He was stuck between what he'd been and what he'd become, unable to choose which was really him. He didn't even know which he wanted to be. He'd always been so confident and comfortable with himself; to know that that wasn't who e was supposed to be, who he'd actually been, was earth shattering. Where did one go from here? Did he try to break the curse? Did he try to get back to where he was? Or did he just give up? The last option was starting to look pretty good. He honestly had no clue what to do next, except sulk.

A voice drifted into Tamatoa's awareness, jerking him awake. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with a fist. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep. It must have been for a while, as stiffness had invaded his shoulders and neck, and his cheeks were crusty with salt from evaporated tears. Perhaps that voice he'd heard had been from a dream.

"Tamatoa?" Nope, that was definitely a real voice. Tamatoa looked up and saw someone moving near the edge of the hole. He didn't get a good look at who it was until they swung their torch around. He squinted; it was Hina. Something sharp shoved its way into Tamatoa's chest.

 _What the heck is she doing here_? He couldn't tell what was more surprising to him: the fact that Hina was in his cave, or how fast she'd found her way there. The surprise was quickly shoved aside by bitter annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" Hina looked down at him, and he could see her eyes widen. "You know, most wouldn't dare to set foot in here," he called up, "unless they want to be eaten. I may not be able to do that, but I sure can stare angrily at you. I can also say a few choice words." He couldn't quite see Hina's expression from where he was; the torch barely illuminated the area around her. Hina said nothing to his threat. Instead, she stuck the torch in the sand and leaped over the edge into the hole. She landed lightly on her feet in front of Tamatoa. He pointedly looked away from her. Hina shuffled her feet in the sand.

"You're glowing, you know," she said. That got Tamatoa's attention. He looked up at her, frowning in question. Hina pointed at her hands and face. Tamatoa held out his hands and gasped. From the middle of the palms up his hands glowed bioluminescent blue, with seemingly no source for it. He reached forward to put his hands into the dim light from the torch, and the glow disappeared. When he pulled them back, they glowed again.

"What in the..?" He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed something happening to his own body. Maybe he had been so consumed by his own misery he'd missed it. Hina gave a tiny giggle. He glared up at her. "What is this?" he snapped. Hina smothered her smile.

"Just a side-effect of being the son of an ocean goddess," she said. "It's all over your face too. The tattoo on your back is probably glowing too. You never wondered why you glowed as a crab?" Tamatoa pouted and turned away again.

"I figured it's just what all deep-dwelling animals did," he mumbled. Tamatoa gave Hina a sideways scowl. "Why are you even here?" Hina's smile fell. She folded her hands for a moment, then sat down across from him, keeping a respectable distance.

"I want to make things right," she said. "After everything I put you through, I owe you my help." Tamatoa snorted.

"Help? What makes you think I need help?" he snapped. Hina answered his question with a question.

"What were you planning on doing now?" she asked. "Just sit in this hole until you waste away?" Tamatoa twisted his mouth in a pout, but couldn't answer. He was just as clueless about where to go from here as he was an hour ago. "I'm not going to offer anything other than my service," Hina continued. "Whatever you need of me, I'll do it. I don't care about my own curse, or Tunaroa." Her voice got quiet. "I'd do anything for you." Tamatoa looked over at her again. Hina's gaze wasn't on him; it was on that same faraway place she had looked that night by the fire, when he'd asked her about her past. He felt something inside of him soften.

 _Cursed demigoddess..._

"Tell me about...me," he said finally. Now, there was something he never thought he'd say to someone. He'd never been uncertain about who he was before; usually it was him who talked about himself. Hina looked up, and smiled sadly.

"Pele wasn't lying about anything she said. Your father was a human, the chief of his island. But your mother was Te Opuhala; the goddess of the reef." Tamatoa looked at his glowing hand again; a token from his mother? "Through their union came you, Tamatoa. Your father raised you to be his successor as chief. However, when you became the age you are now, your mother decided you were worthy to take your place as a demigod. She gave you your artifacts, as well as the blessing of immortality." She pointed a finger above and behind him. "That was when you received your crab tattoo." Tamatoa raised his eyebrows at this.

"Really?" he asked. Hina nodded.

"All demigods receive a tattoo upon their anointment, signify their place in the divine world. You know Maui's tattoo of the moment he was abandoned. Mine sits upon my brow." She lifted her headband up a bit to show the markings depicting the phases of the moon. Tamatoa thought on this for a moment, before his troubled mind switched gears.

"What were my artifacts?" he asked. "Why don't you say what they are?" Hina shook her head.

"Part of your curse prevents you from knowing what they are. If I were to tell you, you wouldn't hear it." Tamatoa frowned.

"Tell me anyway." Hina sighed.

"They were a pair of-" and then she said something he didn't catch. The words were so garbled he didn't understand them at all. Tamatoa spat to the side in frustration.

"What a curse; I can almost guarantee finding those artifacts would break the curse. How am I supposed to do that if I don't know what I'm looking for!?" He ground his teeth, growling, then shook his head. "You were saying?"

"When you came into your own as a demigod, you decided to leave your island to see the world," Hina continued. "Not long after, you met Maui." A fond smile warmed her features. Despite everything, Tamatoa felt his insides grow fuzzy at the sight of her. "Of course, the first thing you two did was fight. Maui said you were bragging louder than he was, so he had to prove who was the one worth bragging about."

"Who won?"

"Neither; you two were evenly matched. I'm pretty sure that was how your friendship started. If you couldn't best each other, you decided to take on the world together. You performed heroic deeds, fought monsters and villains, continued to shape the world. You two were the best of friends.

"After a while, Maui introduced the two of us. Unlike the your original meeting with Maui, me and you hit it off immediately." Her smile grew warmer, and Tamatoa felt one of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I don't know why, but there was something about you I knew I could trust, that I liked. Our friendship blossomed even quicker than yours and Maui's. The three of us became inseparable. We traveled everywhere together, making a name for ourselves. Our reputation became massive; the stuff of legends." Tamatoa heard a bit of an undercurrent in her voice, like there was something she wasn't telling him. He swallowed, almost afraid to ask.

"Did we—you and I, I mean—did we ever...?" Hina shook hr head sadly.

"No, we never got together. But, I always felt that there was...something between us. We never acted on it, but there was something." Tamatoa's gut clenched; that something had been bugging him too.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, Tamatoa digesting what Hina had told him. He was the son of the reef goddess. His father had raised him to be a chief, but he'd left all that behind when he became immortal. He and Maui had been best friends. He still couldn't believe that; Tamatoa and Maui had been _best friends_. Tamatoa almost didn't want to believe it. But this was all in the past; how had he ended up here?

"What happened to me?" he asked. "How did I get cursed?" Sadness overtook Hina's features. She looked like a weight had dropped on top of her.

"We...went too far," she said quietly. "One thousand years ago, we made a terrible mistake." She mimicked Tamatoa and hugged her legs to her chest. "There was an island with a very large volcano, almost as large as Te Pele's. It had slept for years, to the point where it was thought to have died. We went to explore the mountain, and then got it in our heads to try and wake it up.

"Unfortunately, we succeeded. The volcano's wrath at being disturbed was terrible. It's top exploded with such force it knocked us down the side. A cloud of ash and fire blackened the sky, and lava burst out of a vent on the mountain's face. We were able to get to a safe distance, of course, but then we saw the village nestled at the base of the volcano." Hina's voice caught; Tamatoa saw a dark shadow drape across her eyes. "We had no idea it was there, and they hadn't seen us approach their island. They had...no warning. We rushed to help; I went to try and get the people evacuated, while you and Maui tried to stave the progress of the lava and the smoke. In the struggle, you lost your artifacts. You said you dropped them or something." Tamatoa clenched a fist; he could only imagine the devastation at such a mistake. It might have been paltry issue next to awakening a volcano, but for a demigod, it was huge.

"We tried everything we could, but half of the mountain came down on top of the village..." Hina grew quiet. Tamatoa could see her knuckles grow pale as she clenched her fist. "We tried, but...no one made it out." She gasped and turned away, clearly fighting tears. Tamatoa tried to keep her from dwelling on the memory for too long, ignoring the nausea that suddenly welled in his stomach. He wondered if the trauma from that day was something his body remembered.

"Then what happened?" he asked. Hina sniffed loudly and rubbed her eyes.

"A huge storm appeared over the island, seemingly out of nowhere. Lightening streaked through the sky, and a bolt struck the ground in front of us. The lightening formed a figure in front of us. That, was Te Uira, the god of lightening,

"We had no idea that the island was sacred to Te Uira. The medicine woman of the village was especially close to the god. He was furious at what we had done to his people, and was ready to punish us all." Hina's voice grew cold for a moment. "I was ready to die; after what we had done, I didn't want to live with my guilt." She paused, and Tamatoa reminded himself to breathe. "But then, you stepped in front of us. You shoved around me, pushed Maui back, and said you were responsible for what had just happened. And you didn't just take credit; you bragged about it. You acted proud of what you'd done; that only you were mighty enough to awaken a sleeping volcano.

"I knew exactly what you were doing. You were trying to protect us from punishment by taking the blame onto yourself. Uira, however, didn't see what you were doing. Or, maybe, he did know what you were doing, and it made him angrier. He was disgusted at your behavior. He said you were being egregiously irresponsible for not letting us take our punishment, and for bragging about it. Also, he'd seen that you lost your artifacts. He took this as an insult as well, maybe even more than destroying the village. I guess he decided death was too good for you, so he decided on a different punishment." Tamatoa felt a bit numb at this point.

"So, he cursed me," he said. Hina nodded.

"First, he threw your artifacts so far into the sea we lost track of them immediately. It was sort of and insult to injury kind of thing. The curse was very specific. Because you'd bragged about your prowess as a demigod, he trapped you in your favorite shifted form: the giant coconut crab. And, because you stepped in to protect your friends, he took away your memories of us, as well as everything else. All he left you was-"

"Yeah, I know," said Tamatoa, remembering Te Pele's words. "My name and the sense that I'd lost something."

"And after that he banished you to Lalotai," said Hina. "With the last promise that you could break the curse if you found your artifacts." Tamatoa snorted.

"Right, after throwing them away and taking away any means for me to know what or where they are," he spat. "What a break. Stupid god; I sure hope it was worth it for him." They lapsed into silence for a bit, not looking at one another.

"So, what happened then?" he asked. Hina looked surprised.

"What do you mean? I'm sure you can tell that better than me." Tamatoa shrugged.

"I have memories, but as far as I know they're all fake." Hina grimaced.

"I don't doubt it; your mind would have needed to fill in the gaps to keep from going completely insane."

"Right, so I just went half insane," Tamatoa muttered.

"That's what searching for your artifact did, even if you didn't know that's what you were doing. Always searching but not knowing what you were searching for...it's what drove you mad." Tamatoa pouted. He was beginning to think that madness had been wearing off the longer he was in his demigod body. Maybe there was a way around this curse after all. Or, maybe he was just as mad for thinking that.

"When Maui came to find me," he said, "what was he after?" The sadness on Hina's brow deepened.

"He couldn't accept what had happened to you. Neither could I, as a matter of fact, but we had much different ideas of how to help you. I wanted to go find your artifacts, while he insisted he could essentially talk your memories back." She shook her head. "I think he might have been in denial about the whole thing. He couldn't believe you wouldn't know who we were. He decided to try to convince you to come back with him to the mortal world. I guess you can remember how that turned out." Tamatoa nodded stiffly. He did remember; now he knew why what Maui had come bursting into his cave that day a millennium prior. He also realized the curse had prevented him from understanding some of what he said, and he cursed again. "When he came back, he said that there was no way we could help you. He was convinced you would never come back from the curse. I...I didn't want to give up yet." Hina hugged herself tighter. "We argued horribly, then we parted ways. It was after that that Maui went to steal the Heart of Te Fiti."

"Really?" Hina shrugged.

"I think he did it because he thought that if humans had the power of creation, then a disaster like what happened on Te Uira's island. But, I can't be sure." Tamatoa put a hand over his eyes and rubbed.

"I can't believe how much I've missed out because of this curse. If I could have understood Maui better...maybe I wouldn't have..."

"You really think you would have believed him?" asked Hina skeptically. "Maui was in hysterics. I doubt he would have made sense even without the curse. His own reckless behavior caused cost you your leg, not anything you did." Tamatoa could tell she was trying to make him feel better, but the reality was too tragic to make any light of.

Silence once again draped over the two of them. Tamatoa brooded on the unfairness of his fate. Once he was selfless to bear the wrath of a god for his friends, and look where it got him? Then again, it hadn't just been their fault they'd ended up in the situation. By the sound of it, he'd at least had a hand in it. What a circle of utter nonsense.

Hina suddenly stood up, brushing off the back of her skirt.

"Well, come on. Let's get out of this hole." Tamatoa raised his eyebrows.

"What makes you think I want to get out?" he said flatly. Hina put her hands on her hips, her look not quite patient.

"Do you really want to stay here?" she asked. Tamatoa fumed for a moment, cursing the understanding in her eyes. How could he wallow in self-pity when Hina was offering him sympathy? He was supposed to be angry with her. Hina wordlessly held out a hand. Tamatoa stared at it for a bit, weighing his options. He could either fall back into hopelessness, or he could give something else a chance.

Tamatoa reached up and took Hina's hand.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hina pulled Tamatoa to his feet, and their hands lingered together. Flushing, Tamatoa yanked his hand back. He immediately felt a sting of regret at Hina's nearly inaudible sigh. The demigod bent her knees and jumped out of the hole all the way above to the edge. Before Tamatoa could call a protest, Hina took off her headband and tossed down her braid. She widened her stance and wrapped her braid around one arm.

"Come on, climb up," she called down. Tamatoa grabbed a hold of the magic hair, braced himself, and walk-climbed up the slope of the hole. Hina walked backward to help pull him up and give him room to surface. When he finally reached the top, her hair shrunk back to its original length. Tamatoa bent to brush some sand from his peg leg, and when he looked up again, Hina had moved closer to him. In the light from the torch beside them, Tamatoa saw a heavy weight pull Hina's expression down. She looked as vulnerable as she had that night by the fire. He tried to muster anger, maybe even a little annoyance, but he just couldn't.

"What is it?" he asked. Hina bit her lip; her eyes were partially hidden by her headband, but he could see the threat of tears.

"Tamatoa, please listen to me," she said quietly. Tamatoa reluctantly nodded, not sure if she saw. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, so I'm not going to ask for it. I'm not asking you to forget what I did either. I'm as much responsible for you getting cursed in the first place as any of us. More so with the second curse. So, instead of asking for forgiveness, I'm asking for a chance to help you." She looked up at him, and Tamatoa's throat constricted painfully. "I'm sorry for what I did, and I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you." Hina's words from the night on Te Pele echoed back to him.

 _I'm sorry for everything...Everything that's happened was my fault...You don't understand...You can't understand..._ Now he understood. She must have carried the guilt from his being cursed with her ever since that day. "I never should have given up on you. I did it because I thought it was the only way I could continue living, but that's no excuse." Tamatoa nearly winced. "So I'm asking for a chance to try again. Let me help you break your curse, please."

Tamatoa watched Hina silently. Some self-doubt held him back with an iron grip. What if they couldn't break the curse? What if his artifacts were lost forever? Putting off solving her own problems didn't keep Hina any safer from Tunaroa, yet she was willing to bypass getting her stronger powers back for him.

Tamatoa took a deep breath, then reached out and took Hina's hand. She gasped a little and gave him misty eyes.

"Just tell me one thing," Tamatoa said tightly. Hina nodded.

"Anything."

"What was I like before the curse?" he asked. "Was I different? Have I changed? Or..." He took a deep breath. "Or, am I the same person that...you know..." Hina's mouth lifted in the tiniest of smiles. She reached over and took his other hand and lifted them both up between the two of them. She tenderly stroked her thumbs over the backs of his hands, just as Tamatoa had done to her that night by the fire.

"Believe it or not, you haven't changed that much," she said, her voice soft. "You're just as proud and boastful as you were then. You were nicer before, but I'd blame the change on the madness from the curse. When someone's cursed, they're known to be meaner. You're just as charming, if a bit more sarcastic."

"Did I like shiny things?" Tamatoa asked. Hina giggled.

"Not to the same degree. You were more of a souvenir collector. You like tokens, from the adventures we had. That deserted island I told you to say you were from back on Niue? It's a real place; you kept mementos from our travels there." She pointed to the crab-claw necklace on his chest. "This was one of your favorites; a little boy we rescued from a kakamora scavenger ship made it for you." As Tamatoa lifted a hand to touch the pendant, Hina reached up and pushed up the yellow band on his left wrist. "You even have the same scars." Tamatoa looked down, and raised his eyebrows. A series of white lines encircled his wrist in a crossing pattern.

"Where did those come from?" Hina smiled fondly.

"These where when you jumped right into the mouth of a colossal squid. She wrapped her tentacles around you and their hooks nearly took your hands off. It was an exciting battle for all three of us." She looked back up at him. "It was so hard to see you in this form again. Knowing that it was you, yet you didn't remember. And...if I'm honest, you've put on a bit of weight." Tamatoa felt a snarky retort rise into his mouth, but he swallowed it. She was just answering his question. The affection in her voice was too genuine to take for granted.

"So, it's me you want to help," he said, "not someone who doesn't exist anymore." Hina shook her head and gave his hands a squeeze.

"It was always you, Toa," she whispered. "You've always been you. I wouldn't want you to be anyone else but you. I just...forgot that for a while." Tamatoa sighed heavily. He couldn't make himself forget that she had lied, but she wasn't asking him to. And no matter how much a rapidly diminishing part of him kept trying to convince him that she wasn't who he thought she was, he knew it wasn't true. This was the same person who had lied to him, but she was also the same person who had saved his life twice. This was the same person who had for hours to make him a prosthetic leg. This was the same he'd held his arms, who'd sighed his name. A person could be two things, not just one and not the other. He more than anyone could understand that.

"Hina," he said quietly, steeling himself. "I..." His hands closed around air. Tamatoa blinked and looked around. "Hina?" His voice echoed, alone, against the cave walls. Hina had vanished.

Tamatoa picked up the torch and cast its light around. He was alone, completely and utterly alone. What had just happened? It was like time had passed without him. Just as he was about to call out Hina's name again, he heard a loud shuffle, followed by a shout. Both came from outside his cave. Tamatoa tossed the torch aside and ran towards the cave mouth. At first he didn't see anything, then came another shout. He looked to the left and saw a large, dark shape sliding away across the ground. At the end of it was a smaller shape. Tamatoa took off after them, grunting in frustration at his limp. His legs were a bit stiff from sitting curled up in the hole.

As he neared the shapes, they grew in clarity. Tamatoa's panic increased tenfold. He was chasing after Hina, being dragged away by the tail of a giant eel.

 _No...Gods, no_! Tamatoa sucked in his breath and put on as much of a burst of speed as he could. His huffing and puffing must have gotten Hina's attention, because she somehow managed to look up from her struggling. Pure terror stared back at him. Hina reached out towards him, and Tamatoa found it in him to speed up. Somehow, both of them were mute, their mouths open in silent screams. Suddenly, far up front, the monster eel the tail belonged to rose up into the air, heading towards the ocean sky. His long body bent at a sharp angle, and his tail dragged faster and faster along the ground. Right before the end of his tail left the ground, Hina whipped off her headband and threw it at Tamatoa. He flailed to try and grab it, but his fingers just barely brushed it. The eel's tail lifted off of the ground, taking Hina with it, her braid trailing down like a second tail. Tamatoa jumped to try and snag it, and again, he barely missed. He landed with a painful thud on his knee, almost going over the side of a sudden cliff. Hina's scream fell down from above. Tamatoa stared up, his hand still outstretched.

"Hina!"

"Tamatoa- _aaaaaaaah_!" Hina's scream trailed off into the air as she and Te Tunaroa plunged into the ocean far above. Her braid was the last thing to whip out of sight with a far away splash.

Tamatoa stared up at the water column, his hand slowly falling back to his side. He couldn't see any sign that Tunaroa had actually entered the ocean; there was no shadow from his great body swimming away. He and Hina had simply vanished. Cold, hard panic filled his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

"Hina...No...No, no, _no_!" The last word came out in a scream. It was so hard it hurt his throat. Tamatoa raised shaking hands to his hair, then roared and slammed his fists down into the dirt. Then he noticed he was kneeling at the edge of a cliff, and his voice died in his throat. Tamatoa slowly pushed himself back a ways, wincing at the pain in his knee. He was at a loss for what to do. Hina was gone; taken right out from under his nose. The father of eels had finally caught his prize. What would happen to her? How could he have let such a thing happen to her? Tamatoa clenched his jaw so hard his teeth creaked, and he swore long and hard.

"Tunaroa you...slimy, sneaky..." He pushed himself to his feet and tried to calm his racing thoughts. Panicking would do him no good, and it certainly wouldn't help Hina. He had to find out where they went.

A loud scuffling sound punctured Tamatoa's concentration. He looked wildly around for the source of the noise. His gaze caught on something wriggling along the ground to his right, heading for a hollow beneath a rock. Tamatoa dove for the thing, scrabbling to get a hold of it. There was a hiss as his fingers closed around something long and cold. With a grunt, Tamatoa pulled small brown and white eel out from under the rock. The creature flailed about, undulating its long, slick body to try and escape his grip. Tamatoa moved his other hand over to grip it beneath the gills and squeezed as hard as he could. The eel squeaked and gaped its long mouth.

"Ack...P-please, please! S-stop squeezing!" the eel shrieked. Tamatoa lessened his grip on its throat and brought the little fish up so that they were eye-to-eye.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Did Tunaroa send you? What are you doing here?" The eel shied away, its beady eyes bald with fear.

"I serve the eel father," the eel said, "I was tasked with helping the father retrieve his woman." Tamatoa's lip curled, disgusted at Tunaroa's possessiveness. Then the weight of the eel's words hit him in a delayed swing.

"Have you been following us?" Tamatoa snarled. The eel winced, but didn't say anything. Tamatoa growled and gave the little fish a shake. He repeated the question, louder this time in hopes it would rattle the eel's lateral line.

"Yes, yes!" the eel wailed. "I've been following you since you left Lalotai the first time. The father sent me after you when you escaped him, and I planted myself on the moon demigod's boat."

"So, that was how Tunaroa found us on Niue," said Tamatoa. "And on our way to Te Pele, and now. Why you slimy little worm!" He gave the eel a hard shake. The eel squealed and tried to pull out of his grip.

"Please, please, don't hurt me," he begged. "I was just following the father's orders!"

"Where did he take Hina?" Tamatoa snarled. The eel shook his head, and Tamatoa squeezed him tighter. "Tell me or I'll snap your squirmy little spine!"

"Alright, alright!" the eel squeaked. "The father took her back to his lair, on the island of Tuna Kuhunga. He intends to make her his wife." Tamatoa glared at the little fish so much hard that he cowered in fear.  
"And how does he intend to do that?" he snarled. He almost didn't want to think about the lengths Tunaroa would go to to force Hina to be his, but now was not the time to be squeamish. The eel shook his head yet again. That seemed to be his default reaction at this point.

"I don't know exactly how," the eel whined. "I know it has something to do with her cursed necklace. I think he's going to put it on her, or something. She'll be mortal." That was enough to inspire fear in Tamatoa. He could only imagine what Tunaroa could do to Hina if she was in a weakened mortal state. Hina had been so terrified when he saw her dragged away; now she was in the clutches of the one being who scared her the most. He didn't want to think of Hina being so frightened; it physically hurt for him to try.

 _Right when I was ready to give her a chance_ , he thought angrily, _How could I let this happen? I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't even see Tunaroa. This is my fault, all my fault._ Resolve hardened his spine. He had to save Hina. The shallow reason was because she had saved his life twice already; he at least owed her to return the favor. The deeper reason was because he couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again; he still wanted give that 'something' between them a chance.

Tamatoa held the eel up again and gave him his best devious grin. If it was possible, the eel cowered even more.

"What's your name, little guy?" he asked, his voice sickly sweet. The eel shivered from head to tail.

"Koa," he squeaked. Tamatoa nearly laughed out loud at such an ironic name, but managed to keep his face straight.

"A strong name," he crooned. "No doubt you're a favorite of the eel god." Tamatoa could swear the eel blushed a bit.

"Well, I guess the eel father turns to me when he needs something important done," Koa said, sheepishly. Tamatoa gave an exaggerated nod.

"Oh yes. I would imagine he wouldn't trust anyone else to do such an important job as helping him find his...lady." The words caught on his teeth, but he continued. "I'm sure he wouldn't be happy if his favorite spy got _crushed_ on a mission." He made sure to put as much weight as possible behind the word 'crushed'. Koa paled beneath his brown stripes.

"W-What? But, I told you what you wanted to know! Isn't that enough?" Tamatoa widened his smile.

"Oh no, my slippery friend. You've committed quite a few crimes against a lot of people. If you don't atone for the wrongs you've done, I'll wring your creepy little neck!" He scowled at the eel and gave his gills a squeeze. Koa shrieked and nodded his head up and down so fast it was a blur.

"Okay, okay! Please, don't hurt me! What do you want from me?" Tamatoa was almost disappointed at how quickly the eel gave up. His anger still needed something to work on.

"I'm going to get Hina back," he said slowly. "But, I need a way to get from here to Tuna Kuhunga. I'm guessing you know how Tunaroa managed to do that; I didn't see him swim away in the ocean, so he must have used a spell. What's the spell?" Koa gulped.

"I...I don't know," he squeaked. "If I betray the father-"

"You know," said Tamatoa, drooping his face in a bored expression, "I haven't eaten in almost two days; I wonder if I still like raw fish." The eel's pupils constricted. Tamatoa grinned. He wasn't sure if the time he'd said was right, but the point was more important. "I'll bet you can't bear to live in this world now that you've betrayed Tunaroa. Maybe I'll just make thing's easy and end it for you." He lifted Koa high up and tilted his head back. "I might have to take you in pieces, so try not to move too much. It'll only make things worse." Tamatoa opened his mouth as wide as it would go and lowered the eel down towards it. Koa screamed and flailed wildly, until Tamatoa tightened his grip on the eel's gills.

Somehow, Koa still managed to choke out a response.

"Wait, wait! Please, stop! I'll tell you the spell! I'll tell you!" Tamatoa stopped just before Koa's tail touched his teeth. He snapped his jaw shut and smirked. A tiny part of him was glad his bluff had succeeded purely because he wasn't sure he could swallow a whole live eel, at least not with this body.

"Perfect." He propped his elbow on his waist and gave the eel a little jerk with his wrist. "Well, out with it."

Koa told Tamatoa the spell needed to open a portal in the ocean, that would allow him to pass directly from Lalotai to Tuna Kuhunga.

"It should bring you right next to the island," said Koa, "you won't have to swim very far." A lump formed in Tamatoa's throat.

 _Swim? I have to swim_? Tamatoa shook his head, forcing the lump down. He'd worry about that later. Now all he needed was a way to launch himself into the ocean once the portal formed. Tamatoa glanced around for ideas, when he heard the loud whoosh from a bursting geyser nearby. He grinned.

"Thanks, human girl," he murmured to himself, "whatever your name was. I'm glad I didn't eat you." Koa eyed him like he was crazy, not that the thought was far off.

"So, um, can I go, please?" he squeaked. Tamatoa gave him a narrowed-eyed look, then shrugged.

"Yeah, fine." He marched over to the edge of the nearby cliff, then promptly reeled back and hurled the little eel as hard has he could into the distance. Koa's wailing drifted off as he soared through the air, arcing high and landing somewhere in the mountains far out of sight. "Have fun finding your way back, you squirmy snitch," Tamatoa muttered. He sniffed and turned his back on the cliff, wiping his hands off of each other. "Can't have the little sucker running off to Daddy Eel before I get there." He headed towards the geyser near the outside of his cave. As far as he could tell, it went of every two minutes or so. He had to time saying the spell with the geyser, so he could be flung towards the portal before it closed.

Tamatoa parked himself with his hands on the lip of the geyser, bracing himself for what he was about to do. He was making the conscious decision to throw himself into a geyser, launch himself out of Lalotai into a magic portal, and invade the eel god's island alone. He was planning on taking on the eel god by himself, with no weapons and no powers. All he had was a bit of divine strength, and maybe the recognition of the ocean. All for what? For a woman? It was mad, completely, utterly mad. Tamatoa grinned broadly to himself.

 _Well, aren't I already half-mad? Why not act the part_? He flinched as a geyser burst in front of him. He started counting in his head, rocking back and forth on his toes, when a minute had passed, he said the words Koa had given him.

"Na roto i kaoa me kamaka, i roto i te wai, me te onepu, tango ahau ki te whenua o te atua tuna. Na roto i te po, me te ra, i roto i te wā me te wāhi, tango ahau ki te wahi o te papa tuna." He heard rather than saw a shimmer directly above him in the water column. He counted again, then pushed himself into the geyser's mouth. There were a few uncomfortable moments where he wedged in the cramped opening, then warm water exploded out from beneath him, launching him skyward. Tamatoa saw the portal yawning a few feet into the water, and took as deep a breath as he could. This was probably going to hurt.

Hina finally managed to jerk herself awake, her breath coming out in harsh gasps. Her eyes took a moment to actually adjust, as the immediate area around her was pretty dark. She became aware that she was slumped against a wall, her arms secured tight above her head. Hina struggled to push herself to her feet, as she couldn't move her arms from their places above her. With a grunt, Hina managed to right herself, and looked around.

Her wrists were tied to the rock wall behind her by something she couldn't quite identify; some kind of black material that pulled tight against her skin. No matter how hard she tugged, she couldn't break the bonds. That was the first clue she was in trouble; usually there was nothing she couldn't break with her divine strength. She seemed to be in another cave, one that sloped down from where she was held. The opening was dark as well, though she was able to barely make out the bottom being submerged in water. The water stretched from the cave mouth to halfway in. The faint sound of waves floated in from outside. So the cave was on the oceanside. The cave wasn't that high either; it was likely the cave flooded during high tide.

Hina steadied her breathing an effort to steady her racing heart, and tried to remember how she had ended up there. Everything had happened so fast. One moment she was standing in front of Tamatoa, begging for a chance to help him, and the next, she was being dragged away by Tunaroa's tail. He must have wrapped it around her legs without her even realizing it. Then he'd pulled her all the way out of Lalotai. Hina had a vague memory of being forced underwater. She must not have been able to draw breath in time and passed out. Even more vivid was her memory of Tamatoa chasing after her, reaching out in a desperate attempt to save her.

 _Tamatoa..._ Hina wished she could know what he had been about to say. How cruel that they should be separated at the exact moment when they were trying to start over. But she wouldn't be so foolish as to hope he would come looking for her; if she had finally fallen into the clutches of the eel god, she didn't want Tamatoa coming anywhere near. She wouldn't risk his life for anything, not even her own. She hoped he would swallow his pride, or maybe even return to his selfish ways. As long as he stayed safe.

But Hina didn't have much time to dwell on the troubles of others for much longer. Her musings were swiftly interrupted by a low, echoing laugh. Her heart stopped; she knew that laugh. It was the laugh that had haunted her nightmares for centuries. It was a laugh that carried a promise, a promise spoken in the dark long ago.

 _You'll never be rid of me_. The words were so clear, Hina couldn't be sure if she was simply remembering them or if they had been spoken out loud. She had no chance to wonder. The truth showed itself to her within moments.

A green light poured into the cave from its mouth, eventually forming a funnel around the cave's throat. A tall shadow stretched in from the outside, oddly proportioned and sharp. It shifted and morphed. For a moment, it was the shadow of an eel. But in the next moment, the shadow changed to resemble a more human-like form. The shadow shrank as its owner approached the cave mouth, and the light moved around it. Finally, the owner of the shadow sauntered inyo the cave. Hina's blood froze in her veins.

Te Tunaroa was like Te Pele in that he wasn't modest about what forms he chose. His monstrous eel form was frightening enough as it was, but that didn't take away from the intimidation his human form contained. Indeed, as a human he looked downright creepy. His skin and eyes were like those of a moray: green and slippery; yellow and wide. His features were sharp; he had a long face and slanted eyebrows. One might call him handsome, had it not been for the glint in his eye or the edge to his teeth. He wore his inky hair long and slick, falling down his back like paint from a brush. The end shaped itself into an eel's tail. He was draped in an open sleeveless blue-black robe, under which his chest was bare, and a black cloth kilt hung from his hips to his knees. His wrists and ankles were bedecked in circles of shark teeth and shells, and from his neck hung a length of black pearls. In the bend of the necklace was a small round lamp. This is where the green light was eminated. Tunaroa's body was slim and toned, not quite to the build one might think of a warrior. But Hina knew better. The god emulated everything about his realm; he was an ambush predator, posed and ready to strike.

Tunaroa approached Hina with deliberate slowness. His eyes were stuck so fast to her it was like she was realing him in on a hook. This of course wasn't anywhere near the truth; if she hooked him out at sea, she would cut the line. Tunaroa gave her a slow, hungry smile as he crossed the cave floor to stand before her. He put a hand on the wall behind her and leaned in close, his breath stinging her nostrils. He didn't necessarily smell bad; he smelled like the ocean. The issue was that past experiences had taught her to revile that smell when it was associated with Tunaroa. Hina tried to lean away, but she had no room.

"Welcome, my love," Tunaroa purred. His voice slid like tentacles over Hina's ears, and she shuddered. "I appologize for our unceremonious reunion. I was just so eager to see you again." He reached up and ran a finger down Hina's jaw, raising goosebumps on her skin.

"You mean have me as your prisoner again," Hina spat, jerking away from him. She longed to give him a kick between the legs, but she knew that was pointless. From the position she was in, she couldn't get enough of a swing to do any real damage. Plus, despite what Tunaroa said, she wouldn't put it past the god to punish her for such a slight. Tunaroa chuckled and shook his head.

"My sweet, you wound me. You are not a prisoner."

"Then what are these for?" Hina tugged at her restraints. Tunaroa shrugged in a sort of "well there you go" kind of way.

"I'm afraid that can't be helped," he said. "I know you too well to trust you not to try running away from me again." Hina put as much venom into her glare as she could.

"What is this anyway?" she asked. "What did you tie me up with? I can't break it." Tunaroa nodded, grinning in satisfaction.

"I'm glad you noticed, though I'm surprised you couldn't tell what it is." He held up the lantern at the end of his necklace, so the green light illuminated Hina's bindings. She saw braided lenghths of some kind of black material. She still couldn't tell what it was. "Still not sure? Don't worry, I'll tell you." Tunaroa held up two fingers and moved them in and out in a snipping gesture. "It's your hair, my dear. The one thing a demigod wouldn't be able to break." Hina's eyes widened. She noticed for the first time then that her headband wasn't in place on her head. It sat on the ground at her feet. "Oh, don't worry, I didn't cut your hair by any length," said Tunaroa. "I just clipped a few bits here and there, enough for a coil of rope's worth."

Hina let out an enraged shriek and finally lashed out, kicking her legs out wildly. Tunaroa just seemed to bend out of reach.

"You son of a sea snake!" she yelled, still trying to kick him. "You cut hair from my head while I was unconscious! How dare you avail yourself of the one gift I have left!" She spat at Tunaroa's feet. "What are you even _doing_ , Tunaroa? Are you completely insane? I told you long ago that I didn't want anything to do with you! What makes you think this time would be different in any way?" Tunaroa's expression dropped into an almost bored rest.

"I can assure I'm completely within my right mind, sweetheart," he drawled. "Although I fail to see why you would ever think I would give up having you." Half of a smile pulled his mouth up a bit. "You and I are bound, Hina. I told you that. There is no one I want but you." Hina snarled and shook her head against the insanity she was being handed.

"For the love of the gods, why?" she asked. "Why would you want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with you? I know you're a god, and mortal concepts are foreign to you, but come _on_. Do you really want to be with someone who hates you? Who will just keep trying to get away from you?" Tunaroa sighed and gave her a pitying look.

"Hina, Hina, dear Hina," he said, moving back to stand close in front of her. He then seemed to read her mind and stepped to the side so she couldn't kick him again. "You simply fail to understand. I can't imagine not being with you; I'm far too in love with you." Hina snorted.

"In lust, you mean," she snapped. Tunaroa grinned and stroked her brow with the back of his hand.

"It's your own fault you know," he said silkily. "If you weren't so stunning I wouldn't be interested." He leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Blame your looks, your charm, your wit; all of it. When I see you, I just can't...help myself." He put an unsettling emphasis on this last part. Hina shivered again. She tried breathing again, thinking hard. Obviously getting angry wouldn't help her here. Tunaroa didn't take her seriously enough to care if she got angry. She would have to try a different approach. Tunaroa moved back around to stand in front of Hina once more. He held his hands behind his back, a lazy grin stitting on his long face. Hina swallowed her disgust and gave him a comiserating smile.

"Look, Tuna," she said, trying to relax her shoulders. "Why go though all this trouble, huh? You have to know that I'll never love you. Doyou really want a...wife," she nearly gagged on the idea, "who will never reciprocate you're, ah, feelings?" Tunaroa's smile broadened, and he actually laughed out loud. It was deep and rumbling, like an earthquake beneath the sea.

"My love, do you really think I would have put so much effort into retrieving you if I didn't have something in mind?" Hina's smile fell off.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Tunaroa's own smile turned sly.

"A couple of things in mind, actually," he said.

Tunaroa unhooked the green lantern from his black pearl necklace, and held it up above his head. After a moment, he let go of the lanturn. The glowing orb floated, motionless, in the spot where he'd left it, and its light grew brighter and brighter. Eventually, the who cave was filled with a sickly green light.

"This little gem once belonged to the Queen Anglerfish," Tunaroa said off-handedly. "She put up quite a fight for it too." Hina pushed this bit of information aside, not wanting to think about what Tunaroa would have done to attain such an item.

The cave was a lot larger than Hina had originally thought; she couldn't help but look around. When her gaze reached the far right wall, it caught on something she hadn't noticed before. The light wasn't the best, so the most she could tell was that it was a figure, slumped against the wall.

"What the-?" she whispered. Who else would be here? Tunaroa noticed where her eyes had wandered and smirked.

"Oh, pardon me, my dear. Allow me." He walked over to the figure on the wall, and the floating lantern moved with him. A bit more light draped itself over the figure, throwing more clarity into its features. If at all possible, deeper dread stabbed Hina in the gut.

"Maui!" she screamed. She tried to convince herself it wasn't her brother she saw sitting against the cave wall, his head hanging forward and his hair falling over his face and shoulders. She tried to convince herself that wasn't more of her hair tied around him, pinning his arms to his sides and binding his ankles together. She tried to not realize he wasn't moving, nor did he seem to hear her call out his name. She tried, and failed.

Tunaroa chuckled, apparantly amused by Hina's realization.

"I thought you might appreciate having your half-brother here," he said. He glanced at Maui, then frowned flightly. "Oh come on. I would have thought he'd have woken by now." Hina wondered what he was talking about, when she realized a gentle snoring was eminating from Maui. He wasn't unconscious; he was sleeping. If the situation weren't dire, Hina would have laughed. Maui was a notoriously heavy sleeper. Tunaroa's frown deepened, then he suddenly reeled back and slapped Maui, hard, across the face.

The demigod yelled and sat up, looking around wildly and panting.

"Ah, what? What?!" Maui caught Hina's eye and gasped.

"Hina!" His features instantly crunched into an ugly snarl and thrashed against his bonds.

"Tunaroa, you slimy, sneaky worm!" Maui spat, glaring up at the eel god. Tunaroa raised his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed.

"Temper your tone, demigod," said Tunaroa, "remember who you're speaking to." Maui, like Hina, spat on the ground at Tunaroa's feet.

"You filthy creep. If you don't let my sister go, I'll tear you apart and bury you all over again!" He struggled again against the braided lenghths of Hina's hair, which refused to budge. Tunaroa laughed. He turned and strode across to the other side of the cave, picked up a couple of things Hina didn't get a chance to see, and came back to stand in the length of water between the two captured demigods. He brought something up to show them.

"I'm guessing you'd want this if you planned on getting out of those ropes," he said. Hina and Maui gasped at the same time. Tunaroa easily hefted Maui's great fishhook in one hand, giving it a toss and flipping it around every once and a while. Maui roared and thrashed about even harder.

"Give that back! I only just found it again!" Tunaroa ignored him and turned the hook over a couple of times.

"I've always admired this artifact," he said lazily. "It's definitely one of the gods' finest creations, if I do say so myself. A shame it had to be bestowed on a reject demigod." Maui growled. Tunaroa laughed again, then set the hook on the ground, decidedly just short of Maui's potential reach. "Of coures, it's not nearly as impressive as these." Hina hadn't noticed he'd been holding something else behind his back. He brought his hand around and held whatever it was up to the light. Hina nearly screamed again, but it died in her throat.

Tunaroa held a pair of large knuckle dusters made out of polished white wood. The outer edges wore rows of serrated shark teeth, and the bodies were inset with abalone shells and pearls. They were as beautiful as they were deadly, capable of inflicting both blunt force trauma and deep wounds. Hina stared at them, her mouth agape. She wasn't sure how many more surprise reveals she could take.

"Where did you get those?!" she shrieked. Tunaroa grinned.

"I found them," he said simply, "they were at the bottom of a trench. I suppose they only would have been found by someone who could breathe underwater, or at least shapeshift." Maui stared at them also, though he looked more confused than anything else. It didn't take lng for that to change, though.

"Are those...?" he said slowly.

"Tamatoa's artifacts," Hina finished, her voice breathless with horror. She somehow found it in her to glower at Tunaroa. "Just what are you planning on doing with those?" she asked. Tunaroa shrugged, then tossed the knuckle dusters back across the cave. They landed with a gentle thunk on a rock by the water.

"I just find it amusing to have them, especially after what happened to him," he said. He gave Hina a knowing smirk, and Hina's stomach dropped. "Yes, that's right, sweetheart. I know you ran into him in Lalotai, that he fell victim to the curse I put on your necklace. How fitting that I be the one to end up with them, don't you think?" Hina ground her teeth, unable to wrap her head around her own anger.

"What are you planning, Tunaroa?" Maui asked. This gave Hina something to focus on, and she tried to pull herself together. Tunaroa raised an eyebrow, but decided to direct his answer at Hina.

"I'd almost forgotten, actually," he said. "Having you here makes my heart soar; I'd nearly lost my train of thought." Tunaroa strode over to stand in front of Hina again, reached into his robe, and pulled yet another object out. Hina narrowed her eyes; it was her necklace. "I'm sure you're wondering why I put a curse on your artifact, my dear," Tunaroa crooned. Hina sniffed and looked off to the left, giving him her best indifferent cheek.

"You wanted to weaken me," she said. "Make me easier to capture. Ultimately that didn't quite happen." Tunaroa chuckled.

"No, it didn't. You masterfully maneuvered your old friend Tamatoa into the curse's path. Clever really; one might even say ruthless." Hina nearly winced, but managed to stand her ground.

"So now what? You have me." Tunaroa nodded.

"That's right, my love. But, as you said, our feelings don't seem to be connected as of yet." Hina snorted. "But that's where my little curse comes in." He gave the necklace a little twirl around his finger. "I take it you've figured out what it does?" Hina's nostrils flaired. She wasn't sure what she hated more; him talking to her like she was an object, or talking to her like a child.

"It turns the immortal touching it mortal," she bit out, her teeth clenched. She noticed the look on Tunaroa's face; she seemed to have gotten the answer wrong. "What?"

"I'm afraid you've simplified it a bit too much. You didn't get to see the full effects of my curse because it bumped into Te Uira's curse when Tamatoa touched the necklace. I designed this curse with you in mind, my sweet." He leaned in, nearly touching Hina with her necklace. "It doesn't simply turn you mortal; it reverts you back to what you were before you were made immortal." Hina opened her mouth to say she'd already heard this, but Tunaroa held up a finger. "I said it makes you what you were before you were turned mortal...the moment before you were turned mortal."

Silence fell in the wake of Tunaroa's words. Hina wasn't sure if Maui was thinking the same thing she was, but she imagined it was similar. She was almost afraid she could formulate thoughts at all, given the weight that had been dropped on her. Somehow she eventually found it in her to speak.

"You...mean that it...?" Tunaroa nodded slowly, mischief alight in his eyes.

"That's right, my love. If you touch this necklace, you'll be reduced to the state you were in when the moon found you all those years ago: blind, hair cropped, and helpless." Hina's throat closed, and her eyes from exposure. She gasped for air like a fish out of water, faster and faster, harder and harder, until she grew light headed.

 _No, not again. No, not again. No not again not again not again not again not again._ Maui was a little more clear in his thoughts.

"Curse you, Tunaroa!" Maui roared. "You call yourself a god; you're nothing but a demon! A monster! How can you stand there and insist you love Hina when you're planning on crippling her like that! You're sick! You're just sick, Tunaroa!"

"Why?" Hina gasped, when she finally found her voice. Tunaroa focused on her. "Why would you do such a thing? What have I ever done to you?" Desperation climbed into her voice. "Why would you do something like that to someone you claim to love? That's not love! That's cruel, just cruel!" Tunaroa's smile didn't waver, but something in his eyes shifted; she couldn't tell what it was. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Please don't misunderstand me," he said softly. "This is not a punishment. This is the only way I can see that will guide your heart to mine, since you will not give it to me willingly."

"How is that?"

"Why, it's simple, my love. If you're reverted to your old self, blind and mortal, you'll be helpless. You'd need someone to take care of you. That someone is me." He held up his hands, as if stating the obvious. "If I take of you, you'll come to realize how much you need me, and how much I care about you. Eventually you'll have no choice but to love me."

"You're _insane_!" Maui yelled. Tunaroa's eyes darkened. Hina worried that if her brother's mouth might actually be close to putting him in danger.

"You can't actually believe that," she insisted, attempting to pull Tunaroa's annoyance to her. Tunaroa laughed softly.

"Oh, but I do," he said, "because I know you, Hina, possibly more than you even know yourself. The one thing you fear is weakness, being vulnerable. I understand this completely, but it is an unfortunate flaw. I think every demigod has this flaw, but it's not one I wish you to keep. If you can face this flaw, you'll ultimately be a better person. I can help you with this. How can you not love me if I would be willing to do this for you?" Hina couldn't believe what she was hearing; she couldn't come up with anything to say to such a statement. Tunaroa sounded completely convinced of this plan. She glanced at Maui; he looked just as appalled as her.

"What do you want with Maui?" she asked. Tunaroa raised his eyebrows. "Why is he even here? I'm the one you want; why not let him go?" Tunaroa sighed.

"Well, for one thing, he jumped down my throat."

"You swallowed me!" Maui snapped.

"Because you willingly jumped into my mouth." Tunaroa gave Hina an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, my love. I wouldn't have wanted him here in the first place; I much would have preferred you and I to be alone. However, I believe he can be useful, in case you needed another means of persuasion." Hina didn't like what he was implying. "Plus, I like his hook." Maui let out a bark of laughter.

"If you think Hina is so weak as to fall for an easy trick like that, you're even more insane than you look, Tuna," Maui sneered. Tunaroa finally turned around to face Maui; Hina could see murder in his eyes.

"He's right though, Tunaroa," she said quickly. "I'm afraid threatening my brother wouldn't warm me to you any more than crippling me would. I think you're just asking for more resentment." Tunaroa paused, his face thoughtful. He laughed, softly at first, then growing it in size until it filled the cave. He whipped around, his eyes suddenly manic. Hina gulped and leaned back a bit.

"You honestly think you can shame me away from using a loved one of yours?" he jeered. Hina frowned.

"What do you mean?" Tunaroa laughed again.

"Really, Hina, making me look like the villain. You of all people should know the benefits of using someone." He leaned in so close to Hina he could have kissed her. Hina prayed he wouldn't. "You didn't have any issue with using Tamatoa to escape your punishment from Te Uira," he hissed.

Ice filled Hina's stomach. She couldn't separate her anger from her horror; it was painful to bear either.

"That's not what happened," she said hoarsely, "that was different. I didn't use him." Tunaroa wagged a finger in her face, shaking his head.

"Oh yes you did," he sang, and jerked a thumb towards Maui. "The same goes for him. The two of you were just as responsible for the deaths of Te Uira's people, yet neither of you took responsibility for the incident."

"You shut up!" Maui yelled. "We didn't use him! He chose to do that! He acted completely on his own.

"And yet you let him," said Tunaroa. He gave Hina a knowing look. "Your best friend put his life on the line to protect you from taking your punishment. And you just stood back and let it happen." He tiled his head to watch Hina from under his thin eyebrows. "What kind of friend does such a thing?" Hina's lip trembled, and she slumped her head forward, her eyes watering. She was vaguely aware of Maui shouting more obscenities at Tunaroa, but her hearing was too fuzzy to ear it. He was right; Tunaroa was absolutely right. She had used Tamatoa all those years ago, as had Maui. She'd been ready to die, just as she'd told Tamatoa in his cave. But then he'd stepped in front of her. She should have stopped him; she could have stopped him. Yet, she'd simply stood there and let him take the blame. She let him lie to a god. Maybe she hadn't been ready to die. Maybe she'd wanted someone to save her. She may not have known why Maui had remained silent, but Hina should have known better. She should have spoken up If she had taken responsibility for her part in the disaster, maybe Tamatoa would have been spared his tragic fate, or at least given a lighter punishment. Shame threatened to swallow her whole, had it not been for what Tunaroa said next.

"You know, Hina, I really would prefer to not have to curse you." Hina looked up, her tears spilling over from the movement. Tunaroa had his back to her, twirling her necklace between his fingers. He glanced back at her. "I would much rather you willingly agree to be my wife. I'm sure your feelings for me would grow more easily if you just accept your fate." He gave a sad sigh. "But I know how stubborn you are. I still offer the alternative. If I promise not to hurt your brother, would you agree to be my wife?" He turned and held his hands up in a plaintive gesture. "It's the least I can do for you, the love of my life." Hina was revolted that he kept throwing the word "love" around. In past encounters he would always insist he had loved her since he first laid eyes on her. She remembered a very different look in his eyes when they first met. It certainly hadn't been love in those yellow eel eyes.

Tunaroa seemed to sense Hina's train of thought; he at least took notice that she wasn't answering right away.

"Or, maybe," he said slowly, an unimpressed wave smoothing down his features, "I simply haven't attained enough leverage. I'm assuming Tamatoa is still in Lalotai where we left him." Hina stiffened, trying to keep her face from moving. Once again though, her eyes must have given her away. She cursed the gods for giving her such expressive eyes. Tunaroa's own eyes glinted. "Maybe having your best friend as well as your brother here would be enough to convince you."

"No, no!" Hina cried. Panic flared in her chest and she twitched against her bonds. Reason seemed to flee her completely. Even Maui looked alarmed at her behavior. "No, please! Tunaroa, don't hurt him. Don't hurt either of them! Please, have mercy!" Tears once again welled up and poured forth from her eyes, so hard and fast they distorted her speech. "Please, please. Curse me instead. I'll take whatever punishment you have in mind. I deserve it, I know I do!" Hina's blubbering gave way to sobs, her emotions so extreme that they eclipsed her ability to speak. She slumped again and wept. Just the thought of Tamatoa being subjected to Tunaroa's wrath hurt her in a way she never would have expected. She loved her brother, surely, but he was already here. There was nothing she could do to help him. But after everything she'd done to Tamatoa...she couldn't bear the thought of more happening to him.

 _Stay away, Tamatoa_ , she silently pleaded. _Whatever you do, don't try to find me._ She heard Tunaroa's laughter, soft in her ear.

"Guilt is another weakness of yours, Hina," he whispered. "I can help you with that, too. Give in, my love. I told you long ago that you would never be rid of me." Hina sobbed harder. She resigned herself; whatever happened to her was warranted. She would stop running from her mistakes. If submitting to Tunaroa was how she had to atone for her sins, she would do it. Perhaps this was how Tamatoa felt when he stepped in front of her and Maui to stand before Te Uira. Love spilled into her heart; she would finally honor his sacrifice.

"So, what is your answer, my love?" Tunaroa took her chin between his fingers and lifted her head up to face him. Though her tears, she saw the god appraising her like a piece of jewelry. Nothing in that look was new. But then, though the blur of her grief, Hina noticed a change. Tunaroa's features shifted, moving from triumphant, to confused, then twisting into fury. Horrible, terrifying fury. Hina's sadness fled under the god's burning gaze. Tunaroa let out a feral growl and tightened his grip on Hina's chin. She winced.

"What-?" she started to ask, but Tunaroa cut her off.

"You traitorous wretch!" he snarled, shaking her so hard her neck cricked. Hina couldn't keep back a whimper.

"What are you talking about?" Tunaroa clenched her harder, forcing a cry from her throat.

"You broke your vow, you wretched girl!" His voice rose to a shout. Behind him, Maui grew more agitated.

"Get away from her!" he barked. "What's the matter with you?" Tunaroa's eye twitched, then he let Hina go with another snarl. He turned away, fists clenching and unclenching. Hina could see his whole body shaking with rage. Fear trickled down Hina's spine.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said softly. Tunaroa whirled around, his eyes wide with malice. Hina felt a tremble wrack her body. What had he seen that angered him so?

"You made a vow, long ago, that no man would ever possess your heart," Tunaroa ground out. "You made that vow to be when you rejected me. Do you really think I would have forgotten that?" Hina's insides curdled. In truth, she had forgotten the vow he was speaking of. She had only said it in a vain attempt to get Tunaroa to leave her alone. It was well known that gods took vows from demigods very seriously. She'd hoped it would discourage Tunaroa from further attempts. Unfortunately for her, it had only made him more determined to have her. "I had intended for you to break that vow for _me,_ " Tunaroa hissed. He stalked over and placed his hands on either side of Hina's head. His features were twisted, inhuman. The ambush predator was pushing through the skin of this human form. "You were to relieve that vow when I won you over," spat Tunaroa. "But now I see that you've already broken it. Your eyes betray you again, you foolish woman." Hina still had no idea what he was talking about, but she was beginning to believe mad with rage Tunaroa was more frightening than confident Tunaroa. She decided to try talking him down.

"I can assure you, I haven't broken it," she said. "There's no one, Tuna, I promise." Tunaroa slammed his palms into the wall again, ringing her ears.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" he roared. "Your eyes have told me everything, Hina. At first I was thought it was just guilt that made you weep. But now I see it's more than that." He leaned so close his forehead pressed against hers, crushing her against he wall. "You love him; you've given your heart to Tamatoa."

Hina's breath vanished. Now Tunaroa's anger made sense; his jealousy was boundless. She heard a small gasp from Maui. Tunaroa made an angry noise in throat and pulled away. He turned away, then turned back, then turned around. He paced back and forth in front of Hina, tugging at his hair with one hand. Behind him, Maui stared at Hina, pure confusion wrapped around him. Hina ignored him and kept her attention on Tunaroa. After a while, he turned back to her, eyes narrowed.

"Just tell me this," he said, his voice deadly in how steady it was. Hina realized he was even more frightening when his anger was calm. "Did you give yourself to him?" Hina's heart burrowed its way into her throat. If she lied, he would be able to see it. If she told the truth...Either way, he would be furious. Either way, she wasn't sure if she could protect Tamatoa from Tunaroa's rage. She was trapped. Hina looked away. Tunaroa instantly latched onto this small movement, and pointed aggressively at her.

"So it's true! You've given yourself to another man! How dare you...How dare you!"

"Shut up!" Hina screeched. Rage bubbled up inside her, covering her softer emotions. She faced her tormentor, her longtime enemy, eyes blazing. "Who I give my heart to...whom I love are for me to decide, and me alone! I don't belong to you!" Tunaroa came up to her so fast she didn't actually see him move. This time, though, she didn't flinch away.

"Not yet you don't, no," he said softly. "But you will, my love. Oh, you will."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tamatoa was falling, falling a long way down. He flailed wildly, swiping at the air. He tried to angle himself so that he could see where he was going to land, rather than just stare up at the sky. When he finally managed it, he saw that he was about to hit the water. With a yell, he tried to point his legs down so they would be the first to hit the water, as it rushed up to meet him. Literally, in fact, the ocean rushed up to meet him. Tamatoa gasped as an arm of water rose up out of the sea and engulfed him from the waist down. His terminal velocity decreased significantly, and he was lowered slowly down out of the air to the ocean's surface.

At first, Tamatoa was so shocked and confused by what was going on that he couldn't form a coherent thought. He just stared, blankly, as the arm brought him back down to the earth. But then something drifted across his memory, something Hina had told him.

 _The ocean recognized you_. She'd said that since he was the son of a sea goddess, the ocean would somehow know who he was. That must have been what was happening here. Tamatoa had a few moments to ponder this before he was unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. He floundered about for a few seconds before the ocean once again engulfed his lower half and lifted him up, suspending him out of the water. Tamatoa spluttered slightly, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes and spitting out salt water.

"Where were you when I was drowning outside of Lalotai's gate?" he muttered. The ocean's arm swayed a bit, then carried him over to some rocks. When he felt the rocks with his knees, the ocean's arm retreated from his body. Tamatoa managed to clamber up on top of the rock before the water completely uncovered him. Satisfied that he was safe, he looked ahead. He was perched on one of the rocks making up a half-circle barrier closing in a small cove next to a tiny, white sand island.

 _So this is Tuna Kuhunga_ The majority of the island's right side was dominated by a large cave, which the cove encircled. The entrance to the cave was partially flooded, meaning he would probably have to swim to get in. Unless the ocean was willing to help him again. As Tamatoa inched towards the water, he doubted that would be the case. He could only hope the cove was shallow, and that his wooden leg was water proof.

Tamatoa eased himself into the water as slowly as he could, feeling for the bottom with his right foot. His toes quickly brushed sand. Tamatoa pushed himself off of the rock and into the water, sinking up to his waist. Good thing he was already wet; the cool water might have been a bit unpleasant. He waded towards the cave. He had to go at a slower pace than he wanted to, partially because his wooden leg kept sinking into the sand, partially because it was the middle of the night and he couldn't see very well. The moon provided enough light to spare him complete blindness, but the water was dark enough to hide rocks and sand bars he could stumble over. The cove's rock wall protected it from most of the surf, but there was still enough ebb and flow to threaten his balance.

When Tamatoa finally reached the cave's mouth, he was a bit out of breath. The top of the opening hung low over the water, with only about half a torso amount of space to squeeze through. Tamatoa assumed that was because Tunaroa wouldn't have any qualms with slithering through the entrance as an eel. There was nothing to it; he would have to go under. He shuddered at the thought; the last time his head had gone under water he'd had to be yanked back out. He didn't have the first clue how to swim, much less with a wooden leg. If he had been able to swim in that forgotten past, it wasn't coming back to him. He clenched a fist as it rested on the rock and put his other hand to his eyes. He knew what he had to do; if he was going to save Hina, he head to face this obstacle. Maybe he'd be lucky and it would be shallow enough for him to just walk along the bottom. That was a means of transport he was familiar with.

Tamatoa slowly moved his fingers way from his eyes, an idea forming in his head. He reached under the rock and felt around. The water was barely touching the cave's entrance; based on where the water was and where he stood, he would have enough room to duck under. All he had to do was creep along the bottom; he could even use the rock as a guide. The question was whether or not he could hold his breath long enough to get to the other side. Tamatoa smirked to himself.

 _Well, if I could blow a wind enough to fill Irawaru's sail, I should be able to pull this off. I am a demigod, after all_. He paused, his hand still under the rock. He knew if he took much longer to think, he might lose his nerve. No point in putting it off. Tamatoa inhaled and exhaled several times, prepping his body. Then, he took the deepest breath he could muster, crouched down beneath the water, and pulled himself sideways under the rock. It was too dark to see where he was going, so he closed his eyes and felt with his hand. He crept sideways, keeping one hand on the roof behind him to keep himself from floating at all. Of course, he seemed to be so dense that wasn't much of a problem. He almost felt like a crab again, inching sideways under a rock. An ocean crab wouldn't be in danger of holding its breath though, and he was beginning to feel the pinch of oxygen deprivation. He crept on, feeling his way through the sand with his foot and through the water with his hand. Creatures moved out of his way, crawling and swimming away. Tamatoa grew more light-headed with every step, but he continued on. His limbs grew cold, and his body heat retreated into his core, despite the warmer temperature of the water; apparently being submerged for too long would lower his temperature anyway. Another drawback of not being a crab was having a stable body temperature.

Tamatoa struggled to keep moving, his lungs were near to busting. He nearly let out his breath in desperation, when his free hand finally brushed against rock. Tamatoa paused, then moved his hand up along the rock. The roof ended just above his head, opening up a gap in the water. That was probably the way into the cave. Tamatoa pushed himself out from under the rock and grabbed hold of the water in front of him. He used what little buoyancy he had to half-climb-half-swim up through the water. He finally opened his eyes and saw the faintest of light filtering in from above. It was green, flickering across the surface. He drew closer and closer to the light, his lungs burning. Tamatoa finally let out his breath, the bubble breaking the surface right before his head did.

Tamatoa gasped, gulping down the air his lungs had been begging for. He sucked the air down, and tried to keep his grip on the rock. He couldn't tread water well, so he stuck his toes into a crevice in the wall. As he finally caught his breath, Tamatoa heard words drifting down from the cave beyond.

"...are for me to decide, and me alone. I don't belong to you!" Tamatoa's eyes widened; that was Hina's voice. She sounded distressed. A moment passed before another voice replied to her.

"Not yet you don't, now. But you will, my love. Oh, you will." Tamatoa's breath caught. While he didn't recognize that voice, he knew whose it was. Only Tunaroa would speak with such covetous malice to Hina. Tamatoa didn't like the implication in the eel god's words; Tunaroa had something sinister in mind. If he wanted to be of any help, he had to act. Tamatoa kicked at the water as hard as he could and heaved himself up out of the cave entrance. He crawled onto the shallowly submerged rock until he was free from the water, then took the time to look around.

The cave was illuminated with the same green light that he had seen from the water. On the far wall to his left, someone sat at its base, their face turned away from him. There was just enough light for Tamatoa to see a curtain of curly hair spilling across broad shoulders covered in tattoos. Tamatoa nearly gasped.

 _Maui? He's still alive_? Tamatoa looked to where the demigod seemed to be looking. On the back wall, two more people were standing close together. One was sickly green in skin and dark of hair, with long limbs and a fancy set of clothes. The source of the light, something looking suspiciously like an angler's lantern, hovered over his head. In front of this person, apparently restrained against the wall,

was Hina. Tamatoa's gaze latched to her. She was wearing a look of furious defiance, but her eyes sparked with fear. If she had that kind of emotion, then the green guy in front of her had to be Tunaroa. Tamatoa grit his teeth, anger coloring his vision. He told himself he had to focus; he couldn't just barge in there without thinking.

He saw Tunaroa step back, then hold something up in front of Hina. Tamatoa peered through the gloom. It was Hina's necklace the god held between his fingers. He dangled it before Hina's face, and her eyes crossed to look at it.

"If you wear this, you'll have no choice but to submit to me," Tunaroa murmured. "You'll be so weak you'll end up groveling at my feet. You're heart will be free again when I am the one you depend on." He let out a laugh that reverberated in Tamatoa's very bones, shaking him to the core. "Brace yourself, my love. I imaging the change will be unpleasant. But don't worry, I will be here." He untied the necklace's clasp and lowered it towards Hina. Her eyes widened and she shrank back in an attempt to avoid it. From the far left wall, Maui shouted in alarm.

"Leave her alone! Don't do it!" Tamatoa knew he had no time. He hauled himself to his feet, filled his lungs again, and shouted as loudly as he could.

"Hey! Fish brain!" Tunaroa paused. Hina felt the cold lift from her body. Fear and hope swirled like water inside her, fighting with each other. At flooded the entrance to the cave, Tamatoa stood, dripping wet and furious. He held his fists in a reluctant stance.

 _He came; he actually came here_. The slight hope she felt at just seeing his beloved face gave way to terror. Tamatoa had come to the one place he had hoped he would stay away from. Even if he hoped to help her, he had no way to fight Tunaroa. He was unarmed and powerless—or at least at less power. What could he possibly hope to do by coming here. Hina's eyes watered.

"Tamatoa..." she choked. Tamatoa pointed and winked at her.

"Hey, babe; did you miss me?" Hina almost sighed, but she shook her head and pushed her soft feelings away."Why did you come? You've got to leave, get out of here!" Tunaroa turned to face the intruder, his features smoothed with bored amusement.

"Tamatoa," he greeted lazily. Tamatoa's shoulders clenched. Though Tunaroa had confined himself to a humanoid form, the eel god still radiated absolute menace. "I'd say welcome to my lair, but you're not welcome here. I'll give you a chance to walk away, and I won't use you like Hina did." Tamatoa's anger flared. He took a few breaths, then forced a confident smirk onto his face.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Daddy Eel," he said, "but that's not going to happen." He surprised himself with the strength in his voice. Tunaroa's brow slanted the slightest amount.

"No?" he asked. "Well then, what is it you plan on doing then? If you didn't come to allow me to motivate Hina, why did you come?" He tilted his head, regarding Tamatoa coolly. "Surely you don't intend to stop me?" His lip curled. "I knew you were foolish even before your curse. So many demigods are, after all." Tamatoa reached up with a trembling hand, and pushed his sopping hair out of his eyes. He broadened his grin.

"Maybe, though I'm not sure how. I can at least tell you that Hina doesn't want anything to do with you. And," he then curved his mouth in a snarl, "you're pathetic to try and force her to be yours."

Tamatoa suddenly found himself pinned against the wall. He gasped as his breath was forced from his lungs. He heard Hina scream. He looked down and saw something long and strong pressed against his chest, crushing him against the wall. He looked up, wincing. Tunaroa's hair had grown into a giant eel's tail and lashed out, quick as lightening, from all the way across the cave. The god now strode from his spot in front of Hina over to where he held Tamatoa in place. As he moved, Tunaroa's tail flexed and pushed harder. Tamatoa coughed; he swore he felt his ribs bend from the pressure. He pawed gingerly at the tail, but it wouldn't budge. Tunaroa drew closer and closer, his head-tail lessening in length to accommodate the change in distance. Finally, he came close enough to put his hand on the wall beside Tamatoa's head. His fingers cracked the rock, and pressed harder with his tail. Tamatoa choked on the pain until he couldn't draw breath. Tunaroa smiled and leaned in.

"If I'm so pathetic, why are you the one being squashed like a bug beneath my foot?" the god hissed. Tamatoa couldn't reply. He gazed into the god's yellow eyes, all strength leaving him. He was reminded of that first realization of weakness from when he was cursed. "You're not the hero you think you are," spat Tunaroa, "and you're certainly not the man Hina needs." Tamatoa swallowed, trying to find his breath. He managed a grunt, and Tunaroa seemed to lean in to listen.

"...What...makes you think...you're that man?" Tamatoa whispered. Tunaroa snarled, then pushed in so hard Tamatoa heard his ribs rack. He coughed again. With a disgusted growl, Tunaroa retracted his tail, letting Tamatoa drop to the ground. He landed with a hard smack onto the rock, coughing and gasping. Tunaroa spat on the ground beside them, then turned and walked away.

"Tamatoa!" Tamatoa heard Hina's cry, but couldn't pick himself up off of the ground. His chest hurt so badly, even more so when he tried to breathe.

 _It's no good. I'm too weak against him_. What had he been thinking? There was no way he could go against a god, especially in an almost mortal body. Why had he put himself through this? Tamatoa heard another cry from across the cave. _Hina_...He had to do something; he had something worth trying this for. Tamatoa raised himself up on his hands and knees. The world swirled around him, dark and unfocused. Yet, he could barely make out Tunaroa, stalking like a predator towards Hina. She was struggling to break whatever it was that was keeping her tied down. _Move...do something...anything..._ Tamatoa looked around for something to throw, anything to distract Tunaroa. His eyes caught on something sitting on a rock just a foot away beside him. No, it was two somethings; a pair, sitting together on the rock. He looked closer at them, trying to focus.

Suddenly, the world fell away, leaving him in a void of nothing and the objects he was looking at. He was able to see them in sharp clarity. They were a pair of knuckle dusters, carved from white driftwood and inset with shark teeth. Pearl and abalone shell decorated the bodies and ridges. They were magnificent, absolutely perfect. So beautiful, so pretty...so _shiny._ Tamatoa reached out towards them, his eyes unblinking.

 _Pick it up...pick it up...pick it up..._ He reached out and closed his fingers around the grip of one knuckle buster.

Everything, everything, everything, hit him in one giant blow. He was cast out of his body into the sea...the sea of his memories.

 _He was the son of a goddess that fell in love with a chief. She came to the chief with a bundle in her arms. That bundle was their child._

 _"_ _I have a name for him," she said, her voice full of love. "His name is Tamatoa." The chief took his son with him back to his village. As his only son, he raised the boy to be his successor, training him as a warrior and a leader. Tamatoa grew into a strong-willed and confident young man. When he reached his thirtieth year, his mother, Te Opuhala, came to him and said that he had proven himself worthy to take his place as a demigod. She bestowed on him his own artifact: a pair of knuckle dusters she made herself. The moment he touched them, immortality sank into his veins, and power surged within him. He became strong as a crashing wave and fast as a rip current. He could understand the voices of the creatures who lived in the reef. The ocean became aware of who he was, and promised never to harm him. And, of course, he could change his form, like every demigod._

 _But, as with any demigod—born or made—there was a price to his new powers. As an immortal, he would never succumb to old age. He was doomed to watch his friends and loved ones pass, while he would remain. Even if he bore heirs and passed on the mantle of leadership, he would still have to watch those decedents die. So, he made a choice; he would leave his life as future chief behind him, and find his place as a demigod._

 _Soon after he left on his travels, Tamatoa ran into the demigod Maui. They butt heads over who got to slay a demon shark that was terrorizing a fleet of travelers. When they finally managed to defeat the monster by accidentally killing it together, Tamatoa and Maui angrily showed their strength. They fought from sunrise to sunset, clashing until they were exhausted. Finally, they both dropped their weapons at the same time. Maui told Tamatoa he had never faced a challenge like battling him before. He asked Tamatoa if he wanted to come with him on his travels._

 _"_ _I could use someone on my side that's good in a fight." He didn't say whether it was because he ever lost or not. Tamatoa agreed anyway; he was glad for the companionship. It wasn't long until the two demigods became the best of friends. They performed great feats and shaped the world together. They slew monsters, came face-to-face with gods, and gifted the mortals with the treasures they have today. Maui did it for the glory; Tamatoa did it for the thrill._

 _One day, after decades of exploits, Maui introduced Tamatoa to his half-sister, the demigoddess Hina. Tamatoa was amazed by this person the moment they shook hands. Not only was she pretty—and not in an overt way either—but she was charming, intelligent, and kind. She wasn't as loud and boisterous as her brother, nor was her pride as sensitive. She saw him the way no one else had seen him before. It was those eyes of hers; they could see right into his soul. They hit it off right away, and, just as he and Maui had, Hina and Tamatoa swiftly became the best of friends._

 _And to, the trio of demigods made a name for themselves, performing heroic deeds and going on one exciting adventure after another. Legends and stories grew of their exploits, until Tamatoa's name became just as revered as Maui's or Hina's. Eventually, everyone knew to look for the coconut crab tattoo when looking for the son of the reef, as he was often called._

 _But then, one fateful day, Tamatoa's life as a demigod was shattered. He and his companions found a small island far to the west, where a large volcano slept. The volcano had once been legendary for its temper and frequent eruptions, but the last hundred years had seen it sleep soundly. The trio were curious if a dormant volcano could be persuaded to erupt by something other than the earth. They could easily get away if anything happened, so they decided it would be a fun thrill to test their limits. Unfortunately, they didn't find out until after they had broken a hole in the main magma chamber that Hina saw there were people living on the island. Before they could warn the people away, the volcano erupted, furious at having been disturbed. The demigods scrambled to warn the village, but Tamatoa was separated from Maui and Hina by the explosion of ash and fire. In his haste and confusion, Tamatoa dropped his knuckle busters into a flow of lava. Horror and shame gripped him so hard he didn't realize he was in danger of falling into a flow himself. Luckily, Maui and Hina managed to spot him. They reunited and the two demigod siblings helped Tamatoa escape._

 _The three of them landed on the windward side of the island, where the volcano's eruption wasn't posing a threat. They realized in horror that they'd failed to evacuate the village, since Maui and Hina had chosen to save Tamatoa first. They looked on, devastated, as the village and everyone in it was destroyed by the lava and the smoke from the volcano. When the dust cleared, the whole leeward side of the island was gone. Immediately, a dark cloud formed overhead, different from the cloud spewed into the air by the eruption. The cloud rumbled and tossed lightening at them, so much they were nearly fried where they stood. One of the bolts of lightening formed into a giant figure when it touched the ground. The figure had a face of sparks, and a voice that cracked like a whip through the air._

 _"_ _I am Te Uira, the embodiment of lightening. You have committed the greatest atrocity on this island, both against its people and against me." They'd had no idea the island was sacred to the god of lightening, but that was not an excuse for what they had done. Tamatoa knew they would be punished, Hina and Maui more so than him. Maui had blown the hole in the magma chamber, and Hina had made the decision to turn around and save Tamatoa before evacuating the villagers. They would bear the brunt of the god's wrath. He couldn't let that happen; he'd been foolish enough to drop his own artifacts, he'd allowed himself to fall into harm's way. He'd forced his friends to choose between letting him die and letting the people of the island die, and they'd chosen him. This whole thing was his fault, his mistake that had cost them. He couldn't let them pay for that mistake. He couldn't let Hina pay for that mistake._

 _And so, Tamatoa stepped in front of Hina, and pushed Maui to the side. He faced Te Uira and lied to the god._

 _"_ _It was me, Lord Lightening; I awakened the volcano." Despite his fear, Tamatoa threw his head back and laughed. "These two weaklings aren't nearly strong enough to attain such a feat. Only I have the power to cause such a disaster. I am the greatest demigod of all!" He of course meant none of it, but he had to convince Uira that he was the one that needed punishing. The god took the bait,or at least he seemed to._

 _"_ _You are impertinent and irresponsible," Uira thundered. "How dare you try to rob your friends of their punishment. You stand in the way of their growth, and you dare to make light of the deaths of my people." The god towered over Tamatoa in all his rage. "You wish for punishment? Then death is not enough. You shall pay dearly for this!" Lightening struck Tamatoa, and he bent against the power. His body burned everywhere, like his flesh was melting from his bones. He heard cries from his friends. He was probably going to die, so he tried to hold on to their last words, though he couldn't make them out. His last moments were a flurry of pain and light..._

 _He woke alone, in the dark. What had happened? Where was he? No...who was he? He was...what? He had a name...Tamatoa. He'd lost something...but what was it? He had to find it...He had to find it...He had to..._

Hina heard a cry from across the cave, and craned her head around despite Tunaroa's threat. Tamatoa was standing again, partially bent over and trembling. He held something in both hands; Hina strained to look. She gasped. He was holding the knuckle busters! His artifacts, cast aside by Tunaroa; Tamatoa had found them! Hina must have been wearing a look that gave it away, because Tunaroa paused. The necklace hung from his fingers inches above Hina's face.

"What are you smiling at?" Tunaroa hissed. He followed her line of sight and turned around. His gaze found Tamatoa, and the pupils in his eel eyes constricted to pin pricks.

"No."

Tamatoa's awareness finally reached the present. He was standing, somehow. He held the knuckle dusters, one in each hand. They fit his grip perfectly. Though the pain in his chest was gone, he was slightly prostrate. He realized why when a drop of liquid fell onto one of the shark teeth. He was crying. This time, though, he knew why, and he let the tears flow. For perhaps the first real time since he had been cursed, Tamatoa wept. He wept for the family and friends he had to leave behind when he became immortal. His father, his uncle and cousins, his friends, his grandparents; they were probably long dead now. He wept for the people who had died on Te Uira's island. He wept for Hina, for having to carry the guilt of that day, for him being cursed. He wept for Maui, whom Tamatoa had tried to kill simply because he didn't remember that they had been friends. And most of all, Tamatoa wept for himself. He wept for the mistake he had made in dropping his weapons. If he hadn't been so foolish, they could have saved the people of the island. Maybe then, Uira might not have been so furious. He wouldn't have been forced to take the blame for his friends, and he wouldn't have been cursed so horribly. He wouldn't have been driven mad in his search for the knuckle busters, and he wouldn't have turned on Maui. Maui wouldn't have been forced to rip his leg off. Tamatoa wept for all the years he spent alone, driven mad by the curse's effects. He that such a tragedy had to happen, and how it had hurt everyone involved.

Tamatoa sniffed and wiped his eyes as his mind finally settled. He breathed deeply and assessed how he felt. His memories were back, and he finally knew who he was. Oddly enough, it was almost as if he'd never left; everything just kind of fell into place. He adjusted and tightened his grip on the knuckle dusters. His artifacts; what he'd been searching for all along. It felt amazing to have them back in his hands, like a missing part of himself had been restored. His body felt different too; it no longer felt both familiarly foreign. It was his body now, through and through. Power coursed through his veins and he felt stronger than ever. He was truly Tamatoa again; the curse had been broken.

Tamatoa took a deep breath, calm falling over him. Enough time had been spent reveling in his return; he had work to do. He finally straightened up and faced the situation. Te Tunaroa was watching him closely, eyes narrowed. The god undoubtedly knew what had just happened. Good; maybe now he would take Tamatoa seriously. Tamatoa glanced around. Maui was staring at him, jaw dropped to the floor. Maui; his best friend, his brother by bond. Tamatoa almost laughed at the goofy look on the other demigod's face, so he changed his perspective. Hina was also staring at him, her expression more one of delight than surprise. Hina, his other best friend. No, she was more than that to him. That 'something' he had wondered at during their time together for the last few days made sense now. Tamatoa loved Hina; he loved her with every inch of his heart. He had never told her this, even before the curse. Now he stood before her long time tormentor. Hina was strong and capable, but now she needed help. Tamatoa gripped his knuckle busters tightly. He would not let Hina down.

Tamatoa grinned and stepped into a ready stance, raising his knuckle busters. Tunaroa frowned deeply, and Tamatoa winked.

"Yeah, that's right," he said. He raised his right fist into the air. "I'm back, baby! Tamatoa is back!" Maui and Hina let out shouts of delight and triumph. Tunaroa continued to scowl, his teeth showing. Tamatoa extended his his left arm so that the teeth on his knuckle buster pointed directly at the god. "And you, Daddy Eel, are in for it now." Tunaroa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" the god asked, folding his arms. "And how is that? Do you challenge me, son of Opuhala?" Tamatoa smirked. Confidence filled him to a spilling point.

"You'd better believe it." He then let out a battle cry and waved his fists up and down. He called upon the magic in his weapons and ordered it to do his bidding. The eel god and the demigods looked on as Tamatoa was engulfed in a flash of blue light. His form shifted and shimmered, and the human form of Tamatoa was replaced by the form he had been known for best. Finally, the giant coconut crab had appeared again...and promptly smacked his head on the cave's ceiling.

Tamatoa gasped and groaned, reaching up to rub the back of his head with a claw.

"Ow! Mother sucker fish!" He snarled and shook his head, then glanced down. Tunaroa was standing under him, amused. The god hadn't even flinched when he'd transformed, even though Tamatoa now filled most of the cave. Tamatoa was sure he blushed in spite of himself.

 _Good job, idiot_. He snarled down at Tunaroa, then brought his claw down as hard as he could onto the god. Tunaroa flitted out of the way as the giant crab claw crashed into the rock. Hina screamed and Maui shouted as dust flared up into their faces.

"Watch it, crab cake!" Maui yelled. Tamatoa picked up his claw and tried to scuttle back a bit, but he had no room.

"Sorry," Tamatoa muttered. "I forgot how big this form is." Tunaroa laughed.

"You're a fool, Tamatoa," the god jeered. "What good is a demigod's power if you can't use it properly?" Tamatoa glared at him, then smirked, an idea crossing his mind.

"You're right, Tuna," he said. "I'm a bit rusty. What do you say we take this outside?" He channeled the power of his artifacts and shifted into a wedge-tailed shearwater. Now in a smaller form, Tamatoa tucked in his wings and dove straight for Tunaroa. The god lashed out with his head-tail, but Tamatoa swerved to avoid it. He shot like a bolt down at Tunaroa's face and quickly shifted again, this time into a banded sea snake. Tunaroa yelled as Tamatoa landed on his face and quickly coiled his long body around the god's throat. Hissing, Tamatoa sank his fangs into Tunaroa's forehead. Tunaroa let out a roar, and his human form started to ripple. Tamatoa felt the god's neck swell and watched his face stretch. He quickly uncoiled himself and jumped off of Tunaroa's shoulders. He shifted back to his demigod formed and waved at the morphing deity. Tunaroa turned his ugly eel head towards him.

"You want some of this?" Tamatoa teased. "Come and get it, Daddy Eel!" Tunaroa roared and lunged after him. Tamatoa turned, shifted in mid air, and plunged as a mahi-mahi into the water at the cave's entrance.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hina watched Tunaroa's tail whip away into the water. Somehow, his angler light amulet stayed suspended in the air above them, keeping the cave illuminated. She had to concentrate on breathing to steady herself after all that had happened. It seemed that Tamatoa's curse had been broken once he touched the knuckle busters. Looks like learning the lesson hadn't been the key, at least not for him. And now that he was back in his power, he'd decided the first thing he would do was challenge Tunaroa to a fight. Why did he still have to be so head strong?

"Hina, Hina!" Hina looked around at Maui. He gave her an earnest look. "We've got to get out of here! He have to help Tamatoa; he can't take on Tunaroa by himself!" Hina's heart swelled at her brother's words. She gave him a sly smile.

"And I thought you said that wasn't our friend," she teased. Maui rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You were right and I was wrong. I get it. But can we please wait until this whole thing is over before we reflect on that?" Hina giggled. She was feeling positively giddy despite the situation, but Maui was right. They weren't out of danger yet; even if Tamatoa was back to his full power, he still might have trouble taking Tunaroa on alone.

Hina looked closely at her bindings, thinking hard. The braids of her hair were too tied too tightly for her to just slip her hands through. She'd need to cut them; one thing Tunaroa failed to realize is that her hair could be cut if she desired it; she just needed something sharp. She looked back towards Maui. His hook was right between the two of them, the top facing him and its hilt facing her. That would do the trick; she just needed to move it.

 _Maybe_...Hina wondered if something she'd never tried would work. She concentrated hard, pouring her will into her hair. The headband at the end of her braid shifted, then started to move towards the hook. It was being pushed forward as her hair grew longer. Hina grit her teeth and pushed harder. Her headband bumped up against Maui's hook, and nudged it slowly towards Maui.

"Maui," Hina hissed, "heads up." Maui stopped his struggling and looked down. He smiled in surprise and nodded.

"Good going, Hina! Come on, you can do it! Push harder!"

"I'm...trying!" Hina tensed with effort, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. The hook edged closer and closer to Maui. He leaned over as it reached him and managed to snag the braids on the edge.

"Got it," he said. Hina nodded, and turned her will in the other direction. She gave her head a jerk and whipped the braid up to snag on the serrated end of the hook. She pulled it back some more as it shrank, and the braid pulled the hook tight against the braids securing Maui. Maui must have realized he was touching his hook, because the markings on the tooth ivory suddenly glowed blue. "Okay, now try," said Maui. Hina shrank her hair back faster, and with a loud ripping noise, the hook tore through the braids binding Maui. "Yeah!" Maui untied the rest of the braids on his arms and ankles and flexed, laughing.

"Come on, Maui," said Hina. "Give me a hand!" Maui quickly got up and used his hook to sever the bindings around her wrist. Hina side stepped around her necklace, dropped at her feet by Tunaroa, and dashed towards the entrance.

"Hina, wait!" Maui caught her shoulder and forced Hina to halt at the edge of the water. She tried to shake him off.

"What? We have to help!"

"Do you really want to try to take on Tunaroa without your necklace?" Maui asked. "You can't shape-shift or teleport." Hina frowned and jerked her arm out of Maui's grip.

"So what? I still have my hair and my strength. Between the three of us, we should be more than a match for Tunaroa." Maui looked like he was about to protest, but Hina silenced him with a look. She of course understood and appreciated her brother's concern, but she wasn't going to be held back. If anyone deserved to teach Tunaroa a lesson, it was her. She lifted her mouth in a smirk, thinking of something different. "Don't tell me you're going to be outdone by Tamatoa. I thought defeating Tunaroa would be a breeze for you." Maui's eye twitched a bit at the jab, then his face cracked in a grin.

"Alright, if only to show you how awesome your little brother is now. Hang on." Maui picked up his hook and jumped over Hina into the water. There was a flash of blue light, and then a white shark poked its head out and beckoned to her with a fin. "Hop on." Hina grinned and jumped onto his back.

Tamatoa raced out of the cave and into the open water of the cove. He heard Tunaroa right behind him, snapping at his tail. Once he was sure he had enough room, Tamatoa shifted back into the giant coconut crab. Tunaroa rose out of the water in all his monstrous glory, and bellowed in Tamatoa's face. Tamatoa merely wiped his face with a claw and grinned at him. He swiveled his eyes to sneer at Tunaroa from the side.

"Oh, very scary there, fish brain," he said mockingly. He clapped his laws together slowly in a sarcastic applause. Tunaroa actually paused, his long features folding into what was unmistakably confused disgust. Tamatoa shook with laughter. More than anything, he was really getting a kick out of being the same size as the eel god. It seemed to be helping him have more of an impact on Tunaroa's psyche—at least that's what he wanted to think. Tunaroa quickly recovered from his defacement and lunged, jaws wide. Tamatoa side-stepped with ease and slammed his claw into Tunaroa's gill. Tunaroa gagged briefly before twisting his body around to snap at him again. Tamatoa quickly ducked out of the way before bucking himself upward, knocking his shell into Tunaroa's lower jaw. He then scuttled out from under Tunaroa's body before it hit the water again. He smirked at how much faster he was than the eel god, probably thanks to his nine legs. Tunaroa picked himself up again and tried another tactic, lashing out with his tail. Tamatoa snapped at it with his claw, but Tunaroa changed directions mid-swish, swiping his tail across Tamatoa's face with a crack. Tamatoa stumbled sideways from the force of the blow. He was glad he didn't currently have a nose, as he might be bleeding out of it from such a blow. Although he did wonder if his nose would bleed once he turned back into a demigod; his left leg had been gone after losing it as a crab.

Tamatoa shook his head and turned around just in time to block Tunaroa's next tail whip. He pinched the end of the eel's tail hard in his claw, drawing another roar. Tunaroa twisted and used Tamatoa's claw for leverage to go in for another attempt at a bite. Tamatoa reared up on his right hind legs and brought his free claw down on top of Tunaroa's head. The pollux and manus arms of his claw straddled Tunaroa's skull like a two-pronged fishing spear, sinking into the sand beneath the water and pinning him in place. Tunaroa writhed for a few seconds as Tamatoa started to squeeze, but the he threw the bend of his body forward and managed to hook it behind Tamatoa's head. Tamatoa was surprised by the move, enough to accidentally loosen his grip on Tunaroa's head. Tunaroa pulled out from beneath his claw and wrapped himself more around Tamatoa's head, covering his mouth. The eel god bit at Tamatoa's eyes, but he managed to retract them and tilt them out of the way. But he couldn't breathe, and though he reached up to pinch hard at Tunaroa's back, the eel wouldn't budge.

It took a few moments to remember that he wasn't just a coconut crab anymore.

 _Oh, right_. He concentrated his power and shifted into a wedge-tailed shearwater again. Tunaroa growled in surprises as his formally tight coils closed around nothing, and Tamatoa shot upward out of harm's way. He flapped his wings to hover above the island, taking a moment to catch his breath. Tunaroa cast his head around this way and that to search for his quarry; evidently he'd forgotten that Tamatoa could turn into a bird. Tamatoa took advantage of Tunaroa's temporary distraction to plan his next move. Until now he'd been purely on the defensive, since he'd goaded Tunaroa into chasing after him. From here though, he could easily figure out how to switch to the offensive. But before he had a chance to try something, a loud cry interrupted both his and Tunaroa's thoughts.

"CHHEEEE-HOOO!" Tunaroa whipped around as a white shark launched itself out of the water, then turned into a giant hawk and flew up at Tunaroa's face. The eel god reeled back, but didn't move fast enough to avoid Maui's attack. The demigod dive-bombed at Tunaroa's eyes again and gain, scratching and pecking with his sharp talons and beak. Tamatoa laughed, then dove in to add his own aerial attack. Tunaroa snapped at the both of them, tossing his head this way and that, but he just couldn't keep up with the speedy demigods. Tamatoa eventually deemed Maui capable of sufficiently distracting Tunaroa, so he decided to try another form of attack. He circled out away from the fight to come at Tunaroa from the rear and changed into his banded sea snake form. He landed as a snake on Tunaroa's wide back and proceeded to bite every inch of eel skin he could reach. His reasoning worked that even if Tunaroa was a god, it could be possible he would be susceptible to the potent venom of a banded sea snake. If he bit him enough times, maybe Tunaroa would eventually feel the effects of the venom.

While he was chewing his way up Tunaroa's back, Tamatoa heard a growing series of pats coming towards him. He looked behind him and saw Hina sprinting up Tunaroa's back towards him, her braid gripped in her hands and a determined look on her face. Tamatoa raised his tail in greeting but didn't say anything, for fear of alerting Tunaroa to their presence. Hina nodded at him as she sped by. Tunaroa undulated violently, forcing Tamatoa to flatten himself down to avoid being thrown off. Hina's gait didn't falter once. She raced up and down the writhing coils all the way to Tunaroa's head. There, balancing on the crest of his skull, Hina flung the bend of her braid down and around Tunaroa's upper jaw. She walked back and pulled mightily, wrenching Tunaroa's head back. Tamatoa realized what Hina was doing and quickly flung himself off of Tunaroa's back. He shifted back into a coconut crab and scurried around in front of Tunaroa, then grabbed the eel god's bottom jaw in his claw and yanked downward.

Tunaroa howled and thrashed about frantically, though he was only able to move his body. Tamatoa lowered his center of gravity and anchored the eel god in place. He and Hina pulled hard in opposite directions, drawing more painful roars from Tunaroa. The objective was relatively simple; break the god's jaw, he'd either die or at least be debilitated. Maui quickly picked up on the plan and shifted from hawk to demigod and back, flitting back and forth from one eel eye to the next and whacking away with his hook. Pretty soon blood started to run from Tunaroa's sockets like tears, and his roaring grew louder and louder. The eel's jaw started to creak. Tamatoa grit his teeth and pulled harder.

Suddenly, Tunaroa bent his body into a U-shape and whipped his tail up towards his head. Tamatoa heard a loud smack, and swiveled his eyes up just in time to see Hina go flying over him through the air. He felt a jolt; Tunaroa must have managed to hit her off of him.

"Hina!" Tamatoa let go of Tunaroa and pulled his claw out of the way to avoid being snapped at by the eel god. He shifted into a shearwater and flew as fast as he could after Hina's flung body. Seeing as she wasn't moving as she soared through the air, she must have been knocked out by the blow from Tunaroa's tail. She hadn't been hit at shallow enough of an angle to make her fly far; she arched high above the cove, then dropped quickly less then ten feet from the breakwater.

Tamatoa dove sharply as Hina fell into the water, shifting from a bird to a dolphin fish in one flash. He reached her before she had sunk very far, but then was faced with the problem of getting her to the surface. He couldn't swim as a demigod, not with only one working leg. He circled her as a mahi-mahi a few times, until a giant bubble burst from her mouth. Tamatoa bit down a yell and made a decision.

 _Sorry babe._ He shifted into a tiger shark and clamped his jaws around Hina's braid, as close to her head as he dared without hurting her neck. He then swished his powerful tail and powered towards the surface.

Hina felt someone patting her on the cheek, then felt a hard slap on her back. She winced, then heaved to the side and coughed mightily, spewing up salt water and a bit of bile. She worked to catch her breath, trying to clear her burning throat and nose.

"Hina." The hand that had slapped her settled again on her cheek, gently this time. Hina forced her stinging eyes to open. The face of the person kneeling by her swam for a few moment, and she had blink furiously to clear it. He drew into sharper focus, his large eyes bright with concern. "Hey, Hina," he said softly. "Are you okay? Talk to me, babe." Hina's chest warmed, and she managed a weak smile.

"Tamatoa," she said, and coughed again. Tamatoa smiled, wiping water from her brow.

"Watch your back next time, yeah?" he said. Hina sat up, and pain pierced her skull. She winced and put a hand to her forehead. Tamatoa took her shoulders to steady her. "Careful. Tunaroa gave you a nasty smack upside the head." Hina nodded gingerly.

"Yeah, I remember." She looked around. The two of them were perched on a rock just outside the rock wall surrounding Tuna Kuhunga's cove. Tunaroa and Maui were still battling inside the cove, though it looked like the eel god had forced Hina's brother on the defensive. "We have to get in there," Hina huffed. "I don't care how long it takes; this needs to end tonight." When Tamatoa didn't answer, she turned towards him. Her scowl slipped when she saw the look he was giving him. He looked pained and kind of worried. Hina touched his arm. "What's wrong?" Tamatoa bit his lip, hesitating. He then surprised Hina by suddenly gathering her in his arms and pulling her into a hug. Hina gave a little gasp as she found herself snuggled against Tamatoa's chest, her cheek pressed into his neck and her head tucked under his chin.

"Sorry," he said hoarsely. "I was just...I was worried about you." Hina flushed, a tiny sigh escaping her lips. If it weren't for the battle of powers raging behind her, she would have gladly relaxed into his embrace. She never wanted to leave. Instead, however, Hina pulled away a bit and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You and I have a lot to discuss," said Hina. "But right now we have a fight to finish." She gave him a wry smile. "We can't let Maui have the glory of killing Tunaroa again, right?" Tamatoa blinked, then grinned back at her. It was a grin she knew very well.

"No way is he one-upping me on this one," he said. Hina nodded, and gathered up her braid.

"Come on," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll need a ride."

Tamatoa growled in pain as he smacked his rostrum on the cave's roof, knocked down yet again by Tunaroa. He shook his head and turned back to the battle. They'd been going on like this for hours. The stars were still awake, but dawn couldn't be far off. Both sides knew someone had to die for the fight to end, and one of them was a god. He'd been killed before, and there was no guarantee he'd stay dead this time, but this was the only way. But, Tamatoa was at a loss. No matter how hard they pressed him, Tunaroa wasn't weakening. He and the siblings were only half-god; they simply didn't have the stamina to keep up with a deity for very long. Tamatoa could see both Maui and Hina tiring, and he was feeling it too. They needed a new strategy.

Tamatoa had to duck to avoid being hit in the face by Maui, flung back once again by Tunaroa. Tamatoa shifted back into his demigod form to pull his friend out of the water and onto the beach. Maui coughed and wiped blood off from his nose.

"This is stupid!" he snarled, pounding his hook into the sand. "We're hitting this guy with everything we've got, and he's still not backing down!" Tamatoa cast a doubtful look over his shoulder. Hina was sparring with Tunaroa, batting him back with lashes from her braid. At least one of them had to step in before she lost ground.

"Remind me again how you killed this guy last time?" Tamatoa asked. Maui gave him an impatient glare.

"I caught him off guard last time," he said tightly. "It wasn't much of a fight. I just cut off his head and buried it and his body in two different places." Tamatoa frowned.

"So we need to cut off his head," he said slowly, "I don't think we've even tried that yet." Maui snorted.

"Yeah well, he's a lot bigger now," he said. "I don't think we have a means to do it this time." Tamatoa scratched his chin with the blunt end of his knuckle buster, thinking hard. It was true; they'd mostly just been beating Tunaroa; they hadn't tired actually severing anything. He looked down at his weapon, and an idea dawned on him. He was a bit embarrassed at forgetting that he had training as a chief; one aspect of that training was battle strategy.

"Do you remember that time we fought the pouakai?" Maui looked up at him. The pouakai had been a monstrous bird that terrorized the people of a large island in the north sea. Their encounter with it had taken place before Hina had joined them. Like Tunaroa, the pouakai had had a long, snaky neck. Maui seemed to follow Tamatoa's thinking; a his face slowly broke into his signature confident smirk.

"I see where you're going with this," he said slyly. "Which do you want; top, or bottom?" Tamatoa grinned.

"Top; you got it last time."

Tamatoa and Maui had very little time to plan, as Hina needed their aid immediately. They simply decided to adjust their timing and leaped into action. Maui shifted into a white shark and dove into the water; Tamatoa changed into a shearwater and took to the sky. He climbed into the dark as fast as he could, then picked a point to hover at above the battle. Luckily, Tunaroa hadn't noticed him; Hina was keeping him well distracted. Tamatoa counted in his head, hoping his and Maui's timing was as sharp as it was a millennium ago. Then, Tamatoa folded his wings and dove straight at Tunaroa. In the water below, Maui would count a little longer than Tamatoa before moving. Tamatoa counted again as he fell, until he was halfway the distance he'd flown. He stuck out his right arm, pointing his knuckle buster down, and tucked his left arm to his side. He was straight and narrow as a arrow head. The goal was to create as small a surface area as possible to hit Tunaroa with. Maui would be doing the same with his hook as he launched himself from the water. The two demigods bellowed war cries as they collided weapon-first with the eel god's soft throat and between the eyes.

Tunaroa hissed from the impact of Tamatoa and Maui's timed attacks. The demigods didn't give him a chance to recover. Tamatoa kicked off from Tunaroa's head, and Maui pulled himself up from his bottom jaw. The two of them passed by each eel eye and swung their weapons at them. Maui rammed the right eye; Tamatoa carved three slashes into the left. They then shifted into their bird forms and flew out of harm's way. Or at least, they tried to. In his wild head thrashing, Tunaroa somehow zeroed in on Tamatoa's location. He opened his mouth and swung it around to bring his jaws around the flying Tamatoa.

Tamatoa heard a yell from Maui and looked up to see teeth coming right at him from above and below. He quickly changed into the coconut crab just as Tunaroa's jaws closed around his. Tunaroa made a nasty gagging noise at the huge shell suddenly appearing in his mouth. Tamatoa sniggered through his teeth, but then choked on the laughter when Tunaroa started shaking his head about again. The eel smacked his head down into the water several times, then followed with a series of jerks in the air. Tamatoa tried to reach around and pinch his neck, but the angle didn't permit it. Instead, he made a show of yawning. Tunaroa's furious roar was muffled by Tamatoa's shell.

Hina and Maui stood on the rock wall, watching the exchange with a mixture of awe and pure shock. Hina couldn't quite believe what she was looking at. In his giant crab form, Tamatoa was as large as Tunaroa. Thus, The eel god's mouth was stretched almost comically wide around the demigod's golden shell. Tamatoa's legs waved around at odd angles and his claws dragged in the water. It was so absurd a sight Hina nearly laughed out loud. Maui actually did laugh, so hard that he nearly fell over backwards.

"Now what?" Hina asked, glancing at her brother. Maui sniffed, tears in his eyes.

"Well, he's distracted, so I guess we can move in now," Maui answered. He started to explain what the plan was, but Hina didn't hear him. She was too preoccupied with what was happening in front of them. She frowned.

"Maui, look," she said. Tamatoa's face had dropped the previous amusement. Now he was frowning, then he was grimacing, then his expression twisted inward and he screamed. "Maui!" Maui stopped talking and finally looked up. Tunaroa had stopped shaking his head and was holding Tamatoa suspended. Tamatoa's eyes squeezed shut and he howled in undeniable agony. Now that Tunaroa wasn't moving, Hina could see his jaw shifting by the barest inch. "He's crushing him!" she cried. "Quick!" Maui shifted into a hawk and picked Hina up by her shoulders with his large talons. They flew up ad around to the back of Tunaroa's head. As Maui dropped Hina, she took off her headband and flung it up towards the hawk. Maui caught the headband and shifted into his demigod form. Hina tightened her grip on her braid, pulling it tight. Maui swung on the braid to the side of Tunaroa's head and under his neck. When he'd reached the right side, Maui shifted back into a hawk and flew back up. He climbed to a point several feet above Hina and pulled the braid up with him. Hina grabbed the hanging end of her braid and pulled as well. Tunaroa made a guttural grunting noise as his air was suddenly and violently cut off.

Tamatoa nearly gagged at the creaking, crunching sound coming from his carapace. He couldn't be sure if it was just the pressure from Tunaroa's jaw that was compromising its integrity, or if the eel's teeth had actually pierced the chitin. Either way, it hurt; a lot. When he was sure he was going to be broken in half, Tamatoa was suddenly released. He fell with a giant splash back into the cover, coughing. He tried to stand up straight and winced; the pain hadn't relieved with the removal of the teeth. Tamatoa pinched his eyes shut in an attempt to stave off a potential fainting spell. A hideous choking noise rained down on him, giving him something to focus on. Tamatoa looked up and saw Tunaroa being strangled by Hina's hair. She and Maui were straining hard to choke the eel god out, and it seemed to be working. Tunaroa's yellow eyes bulged and his long body twitched, but he couldn't find the strength to move much.

"Toa!" Hina shouted, her voice strained. "Hurry! Finish it! Finish it now!" Tunaroa then found the right sense of mind to shape shift. He turned back into his humanoid form, and was swiftly caught back up in Hina's braid. Maui faltered the tiniest bit, but didn't lose much altitude. Hina planted herself square in Tunaroa's back. When the god turned to try to fight back, Hina punched him in the temple. Tunaroa reeled, then managed to turn himself around I the bend of the braid. Hina replied by kicking him square in the nose with the heel of her foot. Tunaroa recovered again and reached with both hands for Hina's throat. She caught his hands and locked grips with him. They struggled furiously, pushing and pulling. They swayed dangerously in Hina's braid, and Maui flapped furiously to keep them steady.

"Give...it up, Hina!" Tunaroa hissed. "You really think you can...beat a god?" He winced as Hina pushed her weight on him, pressing her knee into his chest.

"I'm a demigod," she spat, "I've got as good a chance as anyone else." Tunaroa roared and crushed Hina's hands. She cried out, and her elbows buckled. Tunaroa seized the opportunity to grab a hold of Hina's throat.

"I don't want to kill you, Hina," Tunaroa growled. "I'll give you one more chance to end this now. Give yourself over to me, and I'll let your brother and friend live." Hina clawed at his wrists, gritting her teeth. This god had pursued her for centuries. He saw her as nothing but an object, a treasure to own. He'd made her feel weak and unimportant, and taken away her agency on many occasions. This wasn't about protecting Maui or Tamatoa anymore. She had a right to exist, free and in control. She wasn't something to own. She wasn't weak, or if she was, it wasn't a flaw. He wanted to take away her power as an individual. Now it was time to take it back.

Hina gathered her strength, wrenched her right leg out from under her, and slammed her foot into Tunaroa's windpipe. The god coughed hideously and released her. Hina punched every inch of Tunaroa's face and neck she could reach, screaming in fury.

"You don't own me, you've never owned me, and you never will own me!" Hina screeched. She grabbed the dazed god by his robe and lifted him up to face her. "By all the gods in this world and next, I defy you, Te Tunaroa!" She drew back her quivering fist, lining up the shot. Tunaroa blinked blearily, and weakly raised his hand in defense. " _Begone_!" Hina punched Tunaroa between the eyes while kicking off with her free foot. Maui let go of her braid to catch Hina by the arms. Tunaroa flailed wildly as he tumbled through the air.

Tamatoa saw Tunaroa falling towards him and shook off his dizziness, as well as his awe at Hina's bravery. He raised his claw to catch the dropped god, but Tunaroa managed to flip himself over and catch sight of him. Tunaroa shape shifted one more time into the giant moray and landed in front of Tamatoa. Unfortunately, he'd underestimated his angle of his decent. Tunaroa's fall landed the soft spot between his gills and jawbone right in the middle of Tamatoa's awaiting pincers.

Eel and crab eyed each other silently. The other two demigods watched from above with bated breath. Tamatoa narrowed his eyes and squeezed experimentally. Tunaroa inhaled sharply and tried to get away, but Tamatoa's claw was immovable. Glanced up at Hina, his eye stalks cocked in a question. What happened next was her decision, not his. This had been her fight all along; he and Maui had simply helped. She deserved to choose how it ended. Hina met his gaze, and gave him a stiff nod.

 _Works for me_. Tamatoa gave the god a slow, barnacle-encrusted grin.

"Sorry, Daddy Eel," he crooned. "Let this be a lesson to you." He turned his grin upside down. "You mess with one of demigod, you mess with all of us." Tunaroa looked like he was about to say something, but Tamatoa didn't give him a chance. With one motion, Tamatoa snapped his claw shut, severing the eel god's head completely from his body. Tunaroa's head spun high in the air from the force of the cut, giving Tamatoa some time to think. As it fell towards him, he made up his mind. Tamatoa opened his mouth wide.

Hina and Maui stared, taken aback, as Tamatoa swallowed Te Tunaroa's head whole.

Maui lowered Hina to the ground. Her feet touched the sand on the beach at the same time Tunaroa's headless corpse collapsed into the cove, sending a waist-high wall of water over them. When she regained her footing, Hina stared up at Tamatoa. He made a face and spat into the water a couple of times.

"Bleck! That was awful! I hope he doesn't mess up my digestion." He caught sight of Hina watching him, and gave her a small smile. Hina slowly smiled back. Maui came up beside her and gave Hina a slap on the shoulder. She looked over at him, wearing his signature confident smirk, and burst out laughing. Maui laughed as well, and soon the demigod siblings were falling over themselves from pure hysteria. Hina felt like her heart was about to burst from relief; after so many years of torment and fear, she was finally free.

Tamatoa watched Maui and Hina doubled over with laughter, and thought how very inappropriate it was that he wasn't down there with them. He should be celebrating Hina's victory by all rights. Luckily, though, the situation could easily be remedied. Tamatoa shifted down into his demigod form, wincing a tiny bit at the water rising to his waist. He tied his knuckle busters to the sash around his waist, and looked back up at his friends. He smiled at the sight of them leaning against each other in their ongoing laughter. He started to laugh along with them, but found that he couldn't. He frowned and tried to take a breath, but found he couldn't do that either. He tried one more time, and a sharp, pressing pain laced through his chest with the breath. Tamatoa gasped harshly and looked down.

"Oh."

Hina heard an odd sound from the lagoon. She looked over and saw Tamatoa standing in the water not far from where she and Maui were on shore. She wasn't sure if he had made the sound she'd heard. He certainly had an odd look on his face. As Hina watched him, she realized he was in some kind of pain. As she looked longer, she saw the source of his pain. Even in the night gloom, she could see the dark stain spreading from the middle of his chest, down his abdomen and into the water. The world tilted.

"Maui." Hina's brother didn't stop his laughing until she said his name a second time. He looked at her, saw the expression on her face, and followed her line of sight into the cove. His eyes widened.

"What-?" Before either of them could say anything, Tamatoa pitched forward into the water.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

" _Toa_!" The demigods screamed. Hina and Maui hurried forward, sending water splashing all around them. They seized Tamatoa's arms and lifted him out of the water. Tamatoa gasped mightily and made a horrendous choking noise, spitting globs of blood and fighting for air. Hina and Maui slung each of Tamatoa's arms over their shoulders and lugged him through the water towards shore. Though they of course were hampered slightly by the water's friction, they made quick time in getting to the beach. All the while, Tamatoa gasped and coughed.

"Easy now," Maui said when they reached the sand. They made sure to get out of reach of the surf, then turned Tamatoa around and laid him down as gently as they could. Tamatoa moaned, or at least he tried; his throat sounded thick with blood. Hina knelt beside him to take a closer look. Horror knifed her in the heart; a long white object protruded from his solar plexus, right where his diaphragm was. Blood oozed profusely from the wound around the object, coming out at a slightly faster rate each time Tamatoa tried to take a breath. Judging by the blood coming from his mouth, the object must have also pierced a lung, possibly his trachea. "You see where it is?" Maui asked quietly. Hina nodded mutely, her throat tightening around any potential words. Maui reached for the object, but Hina gasped and quickly slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch it! You'll just do more damage!" Maui made a pained grimace. From the ground, Tamatoa somehow managed to laugh in between a gasp and a cough. Hina and Maui looked down at him.

"I...think...enough damage...has been done," Tamatoa said hoarsely. Hina stared in shock at him. The only reason he could possibly be speaking was because he was part god. If she or Maui had been wounded like this, they would be dead already. Tamatoa forced his eyes open and smiled weakly at the two of them. "I'm...guessing that's...one of Tuna...roa's teeth. Must've...got me when he...had me in his mouth." Hina nodded again; she had to agree. The way Tamatoa had screamed in Tunaroa's jaws, she wasn't surprised to find one of the eel's teeth broken body. Hina tried to say something, anything, but all that came forth was a sob. This couldn't be happening.

"Can you heal him?" Maui asked. Hina shook her head. Tears started to gather in her eyes. She didn't have the strength to hold them back.

"Not without my necklace," she said shakily. As she said it, an idea formed in her blackening thoughts. She looked up at Maui. "Go get it," she said. "My necklace is in the cave. Go get it. Maybe I can get my powers back from it." Maui frowned.

"But it's still cursed, isn't it?" Hina felt something on her hand. She looked down to See Tamatoa weakly reaching for her, his fingers touching hers. She quickly took his hand in both of hers.

"Hina...don't..." Tamatoa gasped. He made a pained noise and coughed more blood. Hina's heart clenched painfully, and more tears poured from her.

"I have to try," she sobbed. Tamatoa jerked his head in what she supposed was an effort to shake it.

"You'll...be cursed...be mortal...you can't." Hina still couldn't believe he was still able to speak. It made her need to try her necklace even more. Hina clenched her eyes shut against the sting of her tears, clutching Tamatoa's hand to her chest.

"Maui-"

"Hina, stop." Hina opened her eyes again. Her brother fixed her with a stare of furious grief. His eyes were shining and he was clenching his jaw. Hina shook her head furiously.

"We have to do something!" she cried. "We can't just let this..." Tamatoa gave her hand the tiniest squeeze. She somehow managed to meet his gaze. He smiled at her again.

"It's...okay, babe," he whispered. Hina sobbed again as her heart was torn in two. Tamatoa gasped and tilted his head towards Maui, reaching towards the other demigod with his free hand.

"M...Maui..." Maui inhaled through his teeth, trying desperately to keep his own tears back. He took Tamatoa's hand. "I'm...s-sorry I took your h...hook..." Tamatoa gasped. "I'm sorry I...tried to kill you...tried to eat...your human friend." Maui hiccuped a laugh. The tears won over him.

"Hey man," he said shakily, reaching over to grip Tamatoa's forearm. "This whole thing was my fault. It's my fault you got cursed. I'm sorry I didn't try to help you after that. I should never have given up on you. And...I'm sorry I ripped off your leg." Tamatoa shook his head.

"I can't believe...I forgot you...were my friend. You're...my brother..." Maui's mouth twisted in pain. He sniffed, and nodded fiercely.

"Brothers, always." Tamatoa smiled, wheezing. He tilted his head over to switch his focus to Hina.

"Hina..." Hina shuddered with grief. She gripped his hand tightly, her eyes never leaving his face. "I just...want you to know..." He coughed and gasped.

"Stop talking, please," Hina begged. Tamatoa winced, but still managed to give her an impatient look. Hina gulped and let him continue.

"I want you...to know..." He had to stop to try to catch his breath. Hina simply couldn't believe he had any at all. Whatever it was he had to say to her was holding him there. "I'm so...glad...that I got to spend...my last night with you..." He gave her a crooked smile and squeezed her hand. "I'm counting...that night by the fire...as my last." Hina tried to speak, but could only manage a wet swallow. She was vaguely aware of Maui, staring at her. He hadn't missed Tamatoa's meaning. Hina pointedly ignored him; she wasn't about to let him level any judgment on the two of them, not now. She brought Tamatoa's hand up to her cheek and rubbed against it. He turned his hand and cupped her cheek in response.

"You can't leave me, Toa," Hina whimpered. Her tears nearly obscured her vision of him, but she kept looking. "I just got you back." Tamatoa smiled.

"I'm...not going anywhere, babe," he said. "You and I...are connected." He feebly reached his fingers around behind her jaw. Hina realized what he was doing and leaned down towards him, allowing him to move his hand to cup the back of her neck. He tugged at her, and she leaned down further, letting him pull her. When she was close enough, Tamatoa raised his head just enough to touch his forehead to hers. He gasped with the effort, but managed to hold it there. "I'm always...going to be...with you." Hina closed her eyes. She inhaled as much of his scent as she could, mixed with sweat, blood, and sea water. When he made a pained noise, she gasped and gently helped him lower his head back down. Tamatoa breathed painfully and coughed, his eyes closed tight against the pain. Hina knew he didn't have much time left. She gripped his hand against her cheek.

"I love you," she said fiercely. Maui stared at her, his tearing eyes wide. Tamatoa opened his eyes and looked up at her. His mouth parted slightly. Hina couldn't tell if he was surprised. "I love you, Tamatoa," she repeated. "You need to know that." Tamatoa continued to stare at her for a few moments, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face, and his eyes, formally dulled by pain, sparkled with sudden tears.

"I..." he started, but suddenly couldn't seem to find air. He tried to draw breath. Hina could see him struggling and tensed. Tamatoa shuddered mightily as a sigh escaped his lips. And then his eyes, the blue eyes Hina knew and loved so much, slowly closed. They did not open again.

Hina stared at Tamatoa's still form. She felt his hand go limp in hers. Her own breath seemed to leave her body. She started to gasp, still clutching his hand. Maui reached down and felt for a pulse. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"He's gone." Hina's hearing cut out until all she was aware of was her own heart beat. It thudded like a drum in her head. It was the only one she could hear.

" _No_!" Hina wailed. She threw her arms around Tamatoa's shoulders and pulled his head up against her chest, cradling him. She buried her face in his hair and wept, heavy and loud. Maui watched watched her, silent tears pouring down his haggard face. "No, no, no, no, no!" Hina said it over and over. She wasn't sure if she thought it would change anything, or if perhaps it was simply her own denial. Whichever it was, it kept pouring from her lips. "No, no, please no. Don't leave me. Please come back, Toa. Come back to me!" She kept talking to him until her throat hurt, and her sobs over took her again. Hina rocked back and forth, crying into the hair of the love she had lost.

Something tugged at her eyelids. She wasn't even sure what it was. It wasn't physical.

"Hina." At Maui's soft exclamation, Hina opened her eyes. A soft glow was rising up from the lagoon, spreading across the water and up onto the beach. It wasn't the yellow glow of dawn; it was blueish-green. The glow reached them with the speed of a rising tide, but passed harmlessly over them like any ordinary light. Hina watched the water bend around the light at its origin, and condense into a pillar that rose from the surface. She and Maui looked on in awe as the water molded itself into a humanoid shape. The shape refined and reflected the light, smoothing out. The skin was transparent around a skeleton of coral, fish flitting about it freely. The face was a mask of sandstone, with eyes glowing mother-of-pearl. The hair was fan coral layered on top of each other.

Hina stared, awestruck at the vision before her. She slowly lowered Tamatoa back to the ground, not turning from the sight. Across from her, Maui stared as well, perhaps a bit more baldly. Hina turned on her knees towards the vision. She knew exactly who this was.

"Te Opuhala,"she breathed. Maui gasped and glanced at her.

"Tamatoa's mother?" Hina didn't answer, nor did she look at him. Instead, she bowed low, touching her forehead to the sand. Maui made a noise of realization, and Hina heard the sand shift by him, indicating he'd bowed as well.

"Rise." The voice of the reef goddess was rich and deep as the sea. Hina sat up to face Opuhala. She took off her headband and set it before her.

"What do you ask of us, goddess of the reef?" Hina asked softly. Maui looked up as well. Opuhala raised a watery hand and pointed between them. Hina followed her and found fresh tears. "I'm...I'm so sorry. So sorry."

"Demigoddess of the moon," said Opuhala, "calm yourself." Hina sniffed and looked back at the goddess. "My son hovers between two worlds. He is neither here nor there." Hina's heart clenched, eyes widening.

"What do you mean?" asked Maui.

"He is hanging onto this world, trapping himself between it and the next." Hina gasped.

"You mean he can still be saved?" The goddess gave an almost imperceptible nod. Hina felt a smile lifting at her mouth.

"But that depends on you." The smile faltered.

"Me?" Opuhala nodded.

"You are the one holding him back," she said. There was no judgment in her voice; she said it plain as truth. Hina and Maui exchanged a meaningful glance.

"But, I don't have my healing powers," Hina whispered. Opuhala shook her head.

"You must break the curse Te Tunaroa put on your artifact. Your curse and Tamatoa's were linked. His has been broken; it is time you did the same." Hina shivered and hung her head.

"I don't know how," she confessed. "I haven't figured out the lesson."

"There wasn't really a lesson for you to learn," said Opuhala. "Tunaroa exploited your biggest weakness: your own mortality. You've been afraid of facing the human part of yourself since you became a demigod." Hina automatically readied herself to protest, but she knew the goddess was right. It wasn't just because Opuhala couldn't lie, but because Tunaroa had said the same thing. He'd thought, in his twisted way, that he himself would be the one to "help" her get over her weakness. But Hina was the only one who could do that. It was time she faced her past, in order to save her future.

"What must I do?" Hina asked, her resolve hardening. The goddess again pointed to her son's body.

"Face your humanity, and use it to bring my son back," she said. "It is your humanity he loves, as his is what you love. A demigod's divinity is simply the powers they wield; your humanity is what makes you who you are." Hina saw Maui's expression out of the corner of her eye; he seemed to be silently agreeing with the goddess. Once upon a time, he would have vehemently doubted Opuhala's words. His recent ventures must have changed his mind. Hina might have already been convinced, but Maui's certainty brought back her confidence.

"I'll do it, gladly. I'll do whatever it takes to have Tamatoa back." Opuhala swept her arm and dipped her head in acknowledgment. Behind her stone mask, the goddess's eyes shone with emotion. "Please, demigoddess of the moon, bring my son back to this world," she said softly. "He is still needed." Hina bowed low, her heart warming from the love she heard in Opuhala's voice.

"I will, I swear it."

"I'll leave it to you then." When Hina looked up, Te Opuhala disappeared in a great splash of shimmering sea water.

Hina inhaled deeply through her nose. The sky above was slowly shifting from dark blue to slightly lighter blue, as morning was not far off. The stars were starting to go to sleep. Hina put her headband on and fixed her brother with a tight stare.

"Maui." Maui waved his head, looking resigned.

"I know, I know. I'll be right back." He got up, walked into the water and changed into a shark to swim towards the cave. Hina turned back to kneel at Tamatoa's side, taking his hand in hers again. She closed her eyes to wait. A minute or two later, she heard the loud splashing of Maui's return. Hina opened her eyes to see Maui's hook in front of her face, her necklace dangling from it.

"Here," he said, and carefully lay the necklace at her side. He then sat back in his spot across from Hina. Maui's brow creased in concern. "Are you sure about this?" he asked hoarsely. "I mean, you'll still be cursed if you put that thing on." Hina swallowed the gorge that rose in her throat at the thought of the curse. According to Tunaroa, she'd be reduced to her last human state if she touched her necklace. But that was still her humanity, and she had to face it. She nodded.

"I have to," she said simply. "There's nothing else to be done." Before she could hesitate any more, Hina seized her necklace and fastened it around her neck. The effect was instantaneous. Hina felt all strength leave her body. She nearly tilted sideways, but managed to catch herself before she fell.

"Hina!" Maui reached out for her, but she held up a hand to stop him.  
"I'm fine," she panted. She shook her head and focused on Tamatoa's wound. She grasped the broken eel tooth and pulled it from his chest. Even that took an enormous amount of effort. With a grunt, Hina wrenched tooth from flesh and flung it aside. A bit more blood seeped from the wound; since Tamatoa's heart wasn't beating, there wasn't anything to push it out. Hina knew she had to heal his body if his soul was going to have a place to come back to. She placed her shaking hands over the wound and pressed down, wincing at the cooling blood soaking her fingers. Maui watched her, eyes wide.

"Well?" he asked. Hina threw him a scowl.

"Wait," she snapped. She knew neither of them could expect anything to happen right away; she was being completely robbed of her divinity. And, she knew it was still happening. Her braid tightened on her brow as her braid shrank into her scalp. "Maui," she said between grit teeth. Maui quickly reached over and yanked her headband off before it cut into her forehead. "Thanks," Hina breathed. Maui nodded, his expression a mixture of apprehension and concern. The headband detached from the deteriorating braid as Hina's hair shrank back to the hack-and-slash cut her stepmother had bestowed on her the day of her banishment. And still, the curse was not done. Darkness rapidly crowded into Hina's vision, drawing a gasp from Maui.

"Your eyes," he said, horrified. Hina nodded mutely. The darkness grew larger and larger until Hina's vision was completely cloaked. She was blind as she was on the raft. She couldn't be sure, but Hina had a hunch scars from her stepmother's knife had burned their way into her cheeks, eyelids and eyebrows as well. The curse was sealed; she was truly mortal once more.

Hina breathed in and closed her sightless eyes. She hadn't removed her hands from Tamatoa's wound. She'd never felt so weak, so helpless, in her life. Even on that day when she was cast out, blind and starving, she hadn't felt as helpless. How was she going to call Tamatoa back like this? She had no power to use, no connection to the divine world to ask favors of.

Or, did she? Hina turned her face to the sky. Though dawn was approaching, she still hoped with all her might that the moon could still see her.

 _Please,_ she silently prayed, _please hear me. See me. Carry my voice to the son of the reef, wherever he may be. Help me guide him back to this world. Use my hands as tools for your healing. I am your vessel, and your loyal daughter._ Hoping that her words would be heard, Hina spoke to Tamatoa.

"I am here, Tamatoa," she said softly. "Maui and I are still here. We want you back. We need you back. I need you back." Silence. Maui's breathing was a bit catchy; maybe he was crying. Hina concentrated. Perhaps she shouldn't ask the moon for help. She was, after all, a mortal now; it was her humanity she was supposed to be using, not her divinity. It was her humanity, Te Opuhala had said, that was what made her who she was. The same went for Maui, for Tamatoa. It was that humanity that she had fallen in love with. It had lasted all through his life, even after he'd been cursed. Tears gathered in Hina's damaged eyes. Why had she waited so long to tell him? Why hadn't she said it to him back before the volcano? They'd been friends for years; something had grown between them during that time. She could have said it whenever, but she'd been afraid of what it would do to their friendship. She knew now that he felt the same way. He had to; that must have been what he was going to say to her before he died. Oh, the things she wanted to say to him.

 _Well, I'm the one holding him back. Maybe he's still listening._ So, Hina told him what she wanted him to know. She told him when she'd fallen for him.

"That day in the pouakai's nest. You told me you would always be there for me, as she knew I would be there for you. No matter what, you said, you'd always have my back."

She told him what she loved about him.

"You're strong, brave, loyal. You're stubborn, proud. I even love how boastful you are; you never doubted your own abilities. Never once did you falter. I lost track of who rushed in to battle first; you, or Maui. You're smug, snarky, and can be vindictive. But, you always had a smile for me, no matter the emotion behind it. I think you're pretty handsome, too. Even without being shiny."

She told him why she'd chosen to save him first.

"I chose you over the people of Uira's island. I did it because you're my friend, because I love you. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I know it means I was responsible for the loss of those people's lives, and why you were cursed. I know that, and I'm sorry."

She told him what she wanted, what was truly in her heart.

"I want to travel the world with you, just as we did before. I want us to build a hut on your hideaway island, where you kept all your souvenirs. Sometimes, I want to go on more adventures, fight more monsters. Sometimes, I'd like to just relax, lounge on the beach, cuddle. Maybe I'll make something for you, though I never really learned how to cook well."

Finally, Hina told him how much she wanted him back.

"I thought no man would ever own my heart. I made that vow to keep Tunaroa away from me. After all his pursuing, I thought that was what all men were like, mortal or god. But then, I met you, Tamatoa. You treated me like a person, though I was a woman. You didn't even try to pursue me. You made friends with me.

"When I realized I loved you, I hoped with all my heart that you would love me back. If you could see me, truly see me, as a person and a friend, I hoped you could see me as someone to love. I know now you can, and you do. I heard it in your voice. I felt it in your touch, that night by the fire." She heard an odd noise from Maui, but ignored him. "Those feelings lasted through your curse, and they're lasting through mine. Our feelings are connected, even between worlds. I'm calling on that connection now. Hear me, Tamatoa. Come back to me, my love. Come back. I love you. I love you. Come back."

Warmth spread through Hina's hands and out her fingertips. She tensed for a moment, but then relaxed. Judging by the gasp from Maui, it was working. Hina exhaled, long and slow. She felt the warmth expand from the wound to the rest of Tamatoa's body. The blood beneath her fingers steamed, and then evaporated. The flesh simmered and closed beneath her palms. The heat became so great that Hina winced and pulled her hands away. There was a hiss, and then a loud thud.

"Hina!" Maui cried. "Hina! Oh gods! What-?"

"...Hina?" Hina's breath stilled. That voice...Hina reached out, wordlessly clawing at the air. After a moment, another pair of hands closed around hers. Warm, large hands. Hina inhaled sharply, tears bubbling up beneath her eyelids. One of the hands moved up to cup her cheek, wiping away a tear. "Hina, look at me." Hina let out a tiny, almost pathetically weak whimper.

"I can't," she whispered. Another hand palmed her other cheek.

"Try," said the voice. "Please, Hina. I want to see those eyes of yours." Hina gasped slightly, and lifted her eyelids.

And there he was. The beloved face, the deep blue eyes, the space between and the gold in the teeth, the braids at the temples. His mouth was curved in crooked grin, the one always worn when he'd won a bet. Maybe he had. Tamatoa caressed Hina's wet cheeks with this thumbs, his eyes never leaving hers. Her eyes drank him in. Her eyes?

"Hello there, _mon cherie_ ," he said softly. "Did you miss me?" All Hina managed was a squeak. She could see him. Her sight had returned. As she took the time to marvel at this, Hina felt a coolness spreading over her head, like water. Tamatoa looked at something above her and his grin broadened. "That's better. Short hair is not your thing, babe." He removed his hands from her face so Hina could feel at her head. Her hair was growing at an unreal rate. It fell down her shoulders and back in a black waterfall, twisting itself back into a braid and connecting with the headband at her feet. Hina stared in awe at it as it coiled to its original length.

A laugh penetrated Hina's awe. She and Tamatoa looked around, to see Maui staring at both of them. He sniffed loudly as rivers of tears spilled down his broad cheeks. He startled the both of them even more by letting out a hiccuping wail and throwing himself onto them. Maui gathered Tamatoa and Hina up in a bone-crushing hug, blubbering incoherently. They could do nothing but laugh.

Tamatoa gazed at Hina in the growing light of the rising sun, as it spilled over the lagoon onto the island. Her face was alight with laughter, maybe a little discomfort from being lovingly crushed by her little brother. Tamatoa smiled so wide his face hurt, and laughed along with him.

 _Now,_ he thought, as the three of them rolled around in a joyous pile of limbs, _I'm back._

"So, what will you do now?" Hina asked Maui. Tamatoa and the siblings stood on Tuna Kuhunga's beach, gazing out onto the rolling ocean. The sun was high, and not a single cloud was anywhere to be seen. A warm breeze rustled the few palm trees that dotted the island. Sea birds circled overhead. Waves sang their gentle song. Tamatoa closed his eyes and inhaled the salty air. The smell of the sea send a surge of life into his veins.

"Well, there's a certain curly-haired chief's daughter I'd really like to introduce you to," said Maui. "I think you'd get along great with her. You too, Toa." Tamatoa opened his eyes and looked over at his friend. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"You sure about that?" he asked. "The last time I saw her, I was going threatening to eat her." Maui laughed.

"I think she'd be willing to give you a chance. She can't say no to this face, after all." He pointed to his little tattooed mini-self, who waved away the compliment. Tamatoa shook his head and Hina giggled.

"I'd like that," said Hina. "But first, I have to get my boat back from Lalotai's gate." Tamatoa nodded.

"And I'd like to pick up a few things from there too. A few souvenirs from my millennium in exile." When Maui raised his eyebrow at this, Tamatoa shrugged. "What? Just because the curse is lifted doesn't mean I can't still like shiny things." Maui grinned and chuckled.

"Sure, buddy." He stretched loudly, then shook his head and clapped Hina on the back.

"All right. Well, when you want to meet up again, you know where to find me." Hina nodded.

"Let's not stay separated for long this time," she said, glancing between the two of them. "We're a team, and should stick together. Don't you think." The two demigods nodded.

"Absolutely."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Maui gave Hina a hug and a peck on the cheek, and clasped Tamatoa's forearm. Tamatoa pulled him in and touched his forehead to his friend's.

"Safe travels, brother," he said.

"You too," said Maui. He nodded to the two of them, hefting his hook, and gave them a smart salute. He then waved his hook and shifted into a hawk, then launched himself into the sky with a cry. They watched as he wheeled away over the sea.

Tamatoa glanced at Hina from the corner of his eye, a flush growing over his cheeks. He became very aware of the fact that they were alone. He kicked at the sand with his peg leg, drawing a bit of a blank for what to say. After all that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, he wasn't quite sure where to go from here. The silence between them stretched for a minute or two.

"So, it looks like you're going in the same direction I'm going," Hina said, rather quietly. Tamatoa turned to look at her more. She too was blushing. A little flutter flicked at his gut, and he cleared his throat.

"Um, yeah. I mean, it probably would just be for a quick stop," he said, scratching his head nervously. "After that, I don't know. Maybe, go on another adventure. Fight some monsters, save some people. Say hi to Maui's human friend." Hina smiled, though she was still looking at her feet.

"Sounds nice." Tamatoa swallowed. Maybe he was being too subtle.

"And...maybe then go build a hut on a tiny island? Maybe the island where I keep my stuff?" Hina gave a tiny gasp, and finally turned to fully meet his gaze. Tamatoa nearly sighed at the sight of her. Her pupils had taken on a bit of a silvery sheen ever since her curse had been broken. It was like a piece of the moon had settled into her eyes. Tamatoa was sure it hadn't been there before he'd been cursed. Either way, his insides still melted under her gaze.

"You heard that?" she asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper. There was so much hope in the question that Tamatoa felt ashamed. He hadn't had time to say much to her since dawn; the three friends had been too busy just celebrating everyone's return. Maybe he'd given her some doubt in his feelings for her. Well, he couldn't have that. Tamatoa made sure their eyes locked, so she wouldn't lose any meaning of what he had to say now.

"I heard every word." He gave her a wry grin. "Why do you think I made it back so quickly?"

And then she was in his arms, her laughter like music in his ear. He picked her up and swung her around, his own laughter mixing with hers. He crushed her against him, stroking her hair and inhaling her scent of sky and flowers and water. She sighed into his neck and pressed so close against him that he was sure they would merge into one being. Their heart beats certainly indicated that they had. When they pulled away enough to meet each other's gaze, there were tears in Hina's eyes.

"I know the effect was the same," she said breathlessly, "but why'd you wait to say something?" Tamatoa gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Truthfully? I didn't want to say anything in front of Maui," he said. "I wanted it to be private."

"He already knows," said Hina, her tone teasing. Tamatoa shrugged.

"I know that," he said. "I just wanted it to be special. I didn't want to see his big goofy grin during this." Hina laughed again. Tamatoa smiled and brushed a stray hair off of her temple. His fingers lingered on her cheek, and then he gently cupped her jaw in his hand.

"I love you, Hina," he said softly. She turned and rubbed her cheek into his palm.

"I know," she sighed. Tamatoa snorted.

"I know you know," he said testily, "but I haven't said it yet. You got to say it twice already. I should get to say it too." He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you. I don't want to be without you, not ever again. You're...my moon, Hina." Her eyes shined bright with such emotion his heart ached. Tamatoa pulled her up against him, tilted her head up, and kissed her deeply. It was the most perfect kiss that could ever be, probably would ever be. There would be many, many more after it, surely. But none, would be as good as this one. This kiss sealed their fate then and there; they were bound, as only immortals could be, forever.

When they pulled apart, both were breathless and heavy-lidded. There were no words to be said. Tamatoa wrapped his arms around Hina and tucked her under his chin. Hina snuggled into his embrace, her cheek nestled against his chest. They stood together in silence, listening to the waves and the wind. Tamatoa felt utter contentment, and in that, he started to hum. He swayed gently back and forth, feeling Hina's smile. His humming turned into words.

 _You're so shiny, more valuable than silver, gold, or jewels_

 _I'm not foolin'_

 _Oh, you're shiny, you're the thing I've been looking for all along,_

 _Now I've found you,_

 _I won't let you go_

 _Oh from this day on, it'll be you and me,_

 _Be it sky, land, or sea,_

 _I guarantee, mon cherie,_

 _You're even shinier than me,_

 _And I promise I'm fine with that._

 _I'll cherish you, and you'll cherish me,_

 _Together, we're so shiny._

Hina laughed, slightly muffled under his arm.

"What?" asked Tamatoa.

"That's one for the ages," she said. "We should sing that song to every island we find. It'll go down in legend as a song of love." Tamatoa pff-ed.

"Only if it's included with the original song," he said, mockingly serious. "The whole thing should be a song. It'll start with how I insulted a god and got cursed into a monster, then how I broke that curse by accident. Then, it'll tell how Maui almost destroyed the world, then how pathetic he was, then how he got his groove back. Then it'll be about how you tried to fix things and failed, and against all odds, you kicked a god in the face and brought this idiot back to life." Hina laughed again, and hugged him tighter.

"As long as you include how you ate the head of the eel god," she said. Tamatoa nodded.

"Deal." They pulled apart and she reached up to kiss him again. Towards the end of the kiss, a thought hit Tamatoa like a bolt out of the blue. Perhaps it was brought on by the smell of the ocean, or the play of the breeze on his skin, or maybe just because he was just very happy. It could have been because he was starting to feel hungry. Either way, Tamatoa burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Hina asked, giving him a confused smile. Tamatoa snorted and tried to keep his face straight.

"It's just, I just remembered why I didn't like that coconut water I tried on Niue." Hina creased her brow, still smiling.

"Why's that?" He snorted again in an attempt to suppress the laughter.

"I remember my grandmother making it for me when I was a kid. We'd drink it on the beach together. We raised bees in the village, and she'd put honey in the milk to make it sweeter. I couldn't drink it any other way after that." Hina dropped her smile, genuine puzzlement on her face now.

"So, what's funny?" Tamatoa couldn't help but guffaw.

"I...I'd convinced myself—because of the curse—that I'd eaten my grandma. That she was 'absolutely humongous' and it took a while."

"And?"

"Well...she was a big lady." Hina blinked, then exploded with laughter. They leaned on each other in their amusement, laughing until their sides were sore.

"So, Lalotai?" Hina asked when they were done. Tamatoa shook himself to rid himself of his dazed grin.

"Lalotai," he agreed. "Then a little travel, then a hut on a beach on a little island." Hina gave him a thumbs-up.

"Sounds like a plan." The two demigods shifted in a flash of blue and green light. In their place, a wedge-tailed shearwater and a sooty tern took to the sky, soaring high and circling each other in a dance that they'd practiced over and over years ago. They wheeled around and took off, heading east over the ocean.

In the cavernous dark of the Realm of Monsters, a dozen or so things crept, crawled, and stalked towards the cave formerly occupied by a notorious monster. It had been empty for almost a week. The creatures of the realm were beginning to feel brave enough to attempt an exploration of the cave. Perhaps its former occupant had left some of his coveted treasure behind. Even the rudest of creatures in the realm of monsters liked glittery things. A few brave things tip-toed into the cave in hopes of scrounging for any valuables. One slithery thing saw a single, sparkly coin lying innocently at the bottom of a hole dug into the cave floor. It made a beeline for the coin.

Suddenly, there came a thunderous sound of many feet approaching the cave. The things froze in their tracks, listening.

"Well, well, well," a voice rumbled into the cave. The slithery thing and its companions turned to see a pair of eye stalks peeking in from around the top of the cave. Their owner jumped from the roof and landed with a quaking thud in front of the cave. "Looks like I have some uninvited guests," said Tamatoa, clicking his claws thoughtfully. Hina leaned against the side of his head, twirling her headband around her wrist.

"I told you there might be," she said nonchalantly. "This is what happens when you leave your door open. Pests get in." Tamatoa's eyes zeroed in on a slithery thing near the hole in the cave floor. He gasped and pointed with a claw.

"That's the eel spy I was telling you about! The little sucker who followed us!" The eel gave a little squeak, coiling himself into a ball. Tamatoa narrowed his eyes and slowly grinned. "Hello there, Koa, was it? Are you trying to take something that belongs to me? Wasn't letting your squirmy hide live payment enough?" The little fish shook his head wildly and dove into the hole. The other creatures, exchanged uncertain glances. A couple of the bigger ones, and bigger meaning bigger than Tamatoa, took some menacing steps forward.

Tamatoa swiveled his eyes to look at Hina, who gave him a smirk,

"You take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the right?" he asked. She shrugged gave him a peck on the side of the head.

"Whatever you want. It's your house, formally, at least." Crab and demigoddess grinned at each other.

"After you then, darling."


End file.
